Inklingo

How to Say "crushing defeat" in Spanish

The Spanish word forcrushing defeatis palizaB2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishB2

paliza

nounB2informal
sports/competition
One runner triumphantly crosses a finish line with arms raised in victory, while a second runner sits far behind on the track, looking utterly defeated, illustrating a crushing defeat.

Examples

El equipo de fútbol sufrió una paliza de 6-0 en la final.

The soccer team suffered a crushing defeat of 6-0 in the final.

Le dimos una paliza jugando a las cartas anoche.

We gave him a hammering playing cards last night.

Figurative Use

This meaning uses the idea of physical violence to describe a result: a defeat so bad it felt like a physical attack.

Confusing Severity

Mistake:Using 'derrota' when the loss was huge and embarrassing.

Correction: Use 'paliza' specifically for a massive, humiliating loss, not just any defeat.

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