Spanish Conversation · Level 133
44 words
Spanish word
descolocar
Pronunciation
IPA/deskoloˈkaɾ/
Meaning
- verbthrow off
Example
La pregunta inesperada lo descolocó.
The unexpected question threw him off.
More examples
Ese comentario me descolocó durante la reunión.
That remark threw me off during the meeting.
Core concept
Person momentarily unsettled.
Common phrases
descolocar a alguien
throw someone off
descolocar con una pregunta inesperada
throw off with an unexpected question
descolocar a alguien en público
throw someone off in public
Similar words
desconcertar: Upset someone's composure suddenly, causing them to struggle to respond.
confundir: Cause mental muddle by blending facts or signals, leading to wrong conclusions.
desorientar: Disorient someone's sense of direction or situational bearings, blocking next steps.
sorprender: Startle someone unexpectedly, halting their immediate reaction for a moment.
Definition in Spanish
Hacer que algo salga de su posición habitual o causar perplejidad momentánea en una persona.
Word origin
The verb derives from the Spanish prefix des- 'undo' and colocar 'to place', originally meaning to move something out of its position and later extended to cause brief confusion in a person.
Usage tips
- Used transitively as 'descolocar a alguien' to unsettle someone and reflexively as 'descolocarse' to say that one becomes confused, commonly heard in interviews or abrupt topic changes.
Other meanings
- move out of placeverb
Opposites
- tranquilizarcalmverb
- orientarorientverb
Related words
- descolocadodisconcertedadjective
- descolocacióndisorientationnoun