Spanish word

exprimir

Pronunciation

IPA/ekspɾiˈmiɾ/

Meaning

  • verbsqueeze

Example

Voy a exprimir la naranja para el desayuno.

I am going to squeeze the orange for breakfast.

Illustration for exprimir (squeeze)

More examples

Después de lavarla, tengo que exprimir la esponja.

After washing it, I have to wring out the sponge.

Core concept

Squeezing an orange half over a glass.

Common phrases

  • exprimir un limón

    squeeze a lemon

  • exprimir una esponja

    wring out a sponge

  • exprimir cada momento

    make the most of every moment

Similar words

escurrir: Wrings a cloth or sponge to force water out.
apretar: Presses something firmly with a hand or a tool.
estrujar: Grasps and squeezes hard to force liquid out.

Definition in Spanish

Extraer por presión el zumo o el contenido de algo; en sentido figurado, forzar para obtener provecho o información.

Word origin

From Latin exprimere (ex- 'out' + premere 'press'), the verb means 'press out' and is used both for extracting juice literally and for forcing information or profit figuratively.

Usage tips

  • Used neutrally for objects like fruit, but using exprimir with a person often sounds exploitative.

Other meanings

  • exploitverb
  • squeeze outverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word