desbaratar
to ruin
Reviewed by: David WestfallCofounder
To wreck something so it comes apart
Encoding Strategies:
mnemonic
Desbaratar means to ruin something and sounds like you're splitting apart something cheap, ruining it.
desbaratar
to ruin, to wreck, to destroy
When you break a physical thing so badly that it stops holding together.
El granizo desbarató el techo del invernaderoThe hail ruined the greenhouse roof
Un golpe de agua desbarató el motor viejoA surge of water wrecked the old engine
to ruin, to foil, to thwart (plans, schemes)
When you break up a plan or a scheme so that it never happens, ruining it.
La lluvia desbarató nuestros planes para el sábadoThe rain ruined our plans for Saturday
La policía desbarató la red de contrabandoThe police foiled the smuggling ring
to squander, to blow through (money, goods)
When you spend or give away money until it is gone, ruining what you were given.
Desbarató la herencia en menos de dos añosHe squandered the inheritance in less than two years
Desbaratamos el presupuesto en cosas que no hacían faltaWe blew through the budget on things we didn't need
desbaratarse
to fall apart, to break down
When a thing comes apart on its own, with nobody breaking it.
El reloj se desbarató después de la caídaThe clock fell apart after the drop
La silla se desbarató cuando me sentéThe chair broke down when I sat on it
to lose it, to lose one's composure (colloquial)
When someone loses their composure and can no longer keep it together, coming apart themselves.
Se desbarató al escuchar la noticiaShe lost it when she heard the news
Me desbaraté delante de todos y no pude seguirI lost my composure in front of everyone and couldn't go on