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matanza

mah-TAHN-sahmaˈtanθa

massacre

Also: slaughter, carnage
NounfB1
A row of fallen chess pieces on a board, symbolizing a heavy defeat.

📝 In Action

Los historiadores escribieron sobre la matanza ocurrida en la guerra.

B1

The historians wrote about the massacre that happened in the war.

Debemos evitar otra matanza de civiles inocentes.

B2

We must avoid another slaughter of innocent civilians.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • masacre (massacre)
  • mortandad (death toll/slaughter)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • detener la matanza – to stop the slaughter
  • una matanza sangrienta – a bloody massacre

slaughter

Also: pig-slaughter festival
NounfB2
Spain
A rustic wooden table with a large ham, sausages, and traditional kitchen tools.

📝 In Action

En el pueblo, la matanza del cerdo es una tradición de invierno.

B2

In the village, the pig slaughter is a winter tradition.

Ya tienen todo listo para la matanza de mañana.

B1

They have everything ready for tomorrow's slaughter.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • sacrificio (sacrifice (often used for animals))
  • faenado (butchering (Latin America))

Common Collocations

  • la matanza del cerdo – the traditional pig slaughter

exhausting task

Also: killer
NounfC1informal
A tired person sitting on a pile of heavy sacks, wiping sweat from their forehead.

📝 In Action

Subir todas esas cajas fue una matanza.

C1

Carrying all those boxes up was a real killer (exhausting).

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • agotamiento (exhaustion)
  • paliza (a beating/grueling effort)

Translate to Spanish

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: matanza

Question 1 of 2

Which of these is the most likely meaning of 'matanza' in a rural winter festival context?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Spanish verb 'matar' (to kill), combined with the suffix '-anza' which indicates an action or result. Its roots go back to the Latin 'mactare' (to glorify or sacrifice).

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: matança

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'matanza' only used for bad things?

While it often refers to massacres (bad), it is also used for a culturally significant food tradition (neutral/positive) and figuratively for hard work.

What is the plural of matanza?

The plural is 'matanzas'. Use it when referring to multiple events or different instances of slaughter.