Inklingo
Dictionary

rozar

ro-SAR/ or /ro-THARroˈθar

“rozar” means “to graze” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:

to grazeA2Verb

touching something very lightly while passing

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to verge onB2Verb

being very close to a state or quality

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to chafeB1Verb

skin irritation from friction

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to grazeAlso: to brush against, to rub

VerbA2regular with spelling change ar
SpainLatin America
A hand lightly brushing against the petals of a vibrant red flower while walking by.
gerundrozando
past Participlerozado
infinitiverozar

📝 In Action

La bala le rozó el brazo.

A2

The bullet grazed his arm.

Siento que algo me rozó la pierna en el agua.

B1

I feel like something brushed against my leg in the water.

Ten cuidado de no rozar el coche contra la pared.

B1

Be careful not to rub the car against the wall.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • rozar suavemente – to brush gently
  • sin rozar – without touching

to verge onAlso: to border on

VerbB2regular with spelling change ar
A small boat floating on a calm sea, positioned right at the edge of a thick, mysterious fog bank.

📝 In Action

Su comportamiento rozaba la locura.

B2

His behavior verged on madness.

Ese comentario roza el ridículo.

C1

That comment borders on being ridiculous.

Su actuación rozó la perfección.

B2

Her performance was close to perfection.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • bordear (to border)

Common Collocations

  • rozar la perfección – to verge on perfection
  • rozar lo imposible – to border on the impossible

to chafeAlso: to rub the wrong way

VerbB1regular with spelling change arinformal
A person's heel with a small red patch of skin where a stiff shoe has rubbed against it.

📝 In Action

Estos zapatos me rozan en el talón.

B1

These shoes chafe my heel.

La etiqueta de la camisa me está rozando.

A2

The shirt tag is rubbing against me (irritating me).

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yorozara
túrozaras
él/ella/ustedrozara
nosotrosrozáramos
vosotrosrozarais
ellos/ellas/ustedesrozaran

Present Subjunctive

yoroce
túroces
él/ella/ustedroce
nosotrosrocemos
vosotrosrocéis
ellos/ellas/ustedesrocen

Indicative

Preterite

yorocé
túrozaste
él/ella/ustedrozó
nosotrosrozamos
vosotrosrozasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesrozaron

Imperfect

yorozaba
túrozabas
él/ella/ustedrozaba
nosotrosrozábamos
vosotrosrozabais
ellos/ellas/ustedesrozaban

Present

yorozo
túrozas
él/ella/ustedroza
nosotrosrozamos
vosotrosrozáis
ellos/ellas/ustedesrozan
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Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "rozar" in Spanish:

to chafeto grazeto rub

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: rozar

Question 1 of 3

How do you say 'I grazed' in the past tense?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
roce(touch/friction) — Noun
rozadura(scrape/chafe) — Noun
rozamiento(friction) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes
gozarcruzar
📚 Etymology

From Vulgar Latin 'rosare', likely related to 'rodere', which means 'to gnaw' or 'to wear away'.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: roçar

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'rozar' the same as 'tocar'?

No. 'Tocar' is any kind of touch, while 'rozar' specifically implies a very light, passing, or sliding touch.

Why does the spelling change in 'rocé'?

Spanish spelling rules avoid 'ze'. To keep the soft sound before an 'e', we swap 'z' for 'c'.

Can 'rozar' be used for people?

Yes, if you accidentally brush against someone in a crowd, you can say 'te rocé sin querer'.