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defraudar

deh-frou-DAHR/defɾauˈðaɾ/

“defraudar” means “to disappoint” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to disappoint

Also: to let down
VerbB1regular ar
A sad child looking at a small, plain cupcake when they expected a large, decorated cake.
gerunddefraudando
past Participledefraudado
infinitivedefraudar

📝 In Action

No te voy a defraudar, lo prometo.

A2

I'm not going to let you down, I promise.

Siento que defraudé a mis padres con mis notas.

B1

I feel like I let my parents down with my grades.

La nueva película defraudó a muchos fans de la saga.

B2

The new movie disappointed many fans of the series.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • defraudar la confianza – to betray trust
  • defraudar las expectativas – to fall short of expectations

to defraud

Also: to evade, to swindle
VerbB2regular arformal
A hand surreptitiously taking a gold coin out of a person's open pouch.
gerunddefraudando
past Participledefraudado
infinitivedefraudar

📝 In Action

Fue acusado de defraudar a la hacienda pública.

B2

He was accused of defrauding the public treasury (tax evasion).

La empresa defraudó millones de euros a sus inversores.

C1

The company defrauded its investors of millions of euros.

No intentes defraudar al sistema; te atraparán.

B2

Don't try to cheat the system; you'll get caught.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • defraudar impuestos – to evade taxes
  • defraudar al fisco – to defraud the tax authorities

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesdefraudaran
yodefraudara
túdefraudaras
vosotrosdefraudarais
nosotrosdefraudáramos
él/ella/usteddefraudara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesdefrauden
yodefraude
túdefraudes
vosotrosdefraudéis
nosotrosdefraudemos
él/ella/usteddefraude

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesdefraudaron
yodefraudé
túdefraudaste
vosotrosdefraudasteis
nosotrosdefraudamos
él/ella/usteddefraudó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesdefraudaban
yodefraudaba
túdefraudabas
vosotrosdefraudabais
nosotrosdefraudábamos
él/ella/usteddefraudaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesdefraudan
yodefraudo
túdefraudas
vosotrosdefraudáis
nosotrosdefraudamos
él/ella/usteddefrauda
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "defraudar" in Spanish:

to defraud→to disappoint→to evade→to swindle→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: defraudar

Question 1 of 3

If you fail to pay your taxes in Spain, you are:

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
el fraude(fraud) — Noun
defraudador(fraudster / someone who lets others down) — Noun
fraudulento(fraudulent) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'defraudare', which is a combination of 'de-' (away/off) and 'fraus' (fraud or deceit). It has meant 'to cheat' or 'to deprive by trickery' for centuries.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: defraudFrench: défrauder

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'defraudar' always a bad thing?

Yes. Whether it's failing someone's trust or cheating on taxes, it always refers to a negative action or a failure.

Can I use 'defraudar' for a broken promise?

Absolutely! It's the perfect word for when you break a promise and let someone down emotionally.

Is it a common word in Spain?

Yes, it is used frequently in both everyday conversation (emotional sense) and in the news (financial sense).