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How to Say "thrashing" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “thrashing” is “leña” — use 'leña' when referring to a very bad loss in a sports competition or a severe physical beating..

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leña

/LEH-nyah//ˈleɲa/

nounB2general
Use 'leña' when referring to a very bad loss in a sports competition or a severe physical beating.
A soccer ball sitting deep inside the back of a net.

Examples

El equipo de casa sufrió una terrible leña en el partido de anoche.

The home team suffered a terrible thrashing in last night's game.

El equipo rival nos dio mucha leña en el segundo tiempo.

The rival team gave us a real thrashing in the second half.

Los críticos le dieron leña a la nueva película.

The critics gave the new movie a hard time.

Figurative Action

In this context, 'dar leña' functions as a phrase describing an aggressive action, whether physical in sports or verbal in a debate.

paliza

pah-LEE-sah/paˈlisa/

nounB1general
Choose 'paliza' specifically for a physical beating or a severe beating someone receives.
A cartoon character with a large bandage wrapped around its head and a blue bruise on its cheek, depicting injury following a beating.

Examples

Los asaltantes le dieron una paliza al guardia de seguridad.

The attackers gave the security guard a thrashing.

El matón le dio una paliza y le robó el dinero.

The bully gave him a beating and stole his money.

La policía detuvo a los responsables de la paliza.

The police arrested those responsible for the thrashing.

Always Feminine

Even though it ends in '-a', remember to use the feminine article: 'la paliza'.

Sports vs. Physical Violence

The most common mistake is using 'paliza' for sports defeats. Remember that 'leña' is the better choice for a heavy loss in a game, while 'paliza' is almost exclusively used for physical violence or a severe beating.

Related Translations

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