Spanish word

descompensar

Pronunciation

IPA/deskompenˈsaɾ/

Meaning

  • verbget sick

Example

Si no comes bien, te vas a descompensar.

If you don't eat properly, you're going to get sick.

Illustration for descompensar (get sick)

More examples

Con tanto calor, me puedo descompensar.

With so much heat, I can get sick.

Core concept

Internal balance tipping into sudden illness.

Common phrases

  • descompensarse por no comer

    get sick from not eating

  • descompensarse por el calor

    get sick from heat

  • descompensarse al ponerse de pie

    feel faint when standing up

Similar words

marearse: Wooziness or lightheadedness makes balance unstable and causes visual blurring.
desmayarse: A brief loss of consciousness leads to collapse and a short-lived blackout.
debilitarse: Bodily strength and resistance decrease gradually, resulting in noticeable frailty.
agotarse: Severe exhaustion drains energy so the body feels too weak to move easily.

Definition in Spanish

Indica perder el equilibrio físico o la estabilidad de la salud y empeorar como resultado de esa descompensación.

Word origin

It comes from Spanish compensar ('to compensate') with the negative prefix des- (from Latin), literally meaning failure of compensation or loss of internal stability.

Usage tips

  • The verb appears frequently in medical contexts and has the English cognate decompensate, but in casual speech speakers more commonly say me siento mal to report feeling unwell.

Other meanings

  • worsenverb

Opposites

Related words

  • descompensacióndecompensationnoun
  • descompensadodecompensatedadjective

Word lists with this word