Spanish Conversation · Level 3
87 words
Spanish word
matanza
Pronunciation
IPA/maˈtanθa/
Meaning
- feminine nounmassacre
Example
La matanza de civiles durante la guerra fue terrible.
The massacre of civilians during the war was terrible.
More examples
Tras la investigación, confirmaron que hubo una matanza en la localidad.
After the investigation, they confirmed that there had been a massacre in the locality.
Core concept
A violent mass killing of a group of people.
Common phrases
la matanza de civiles
the massacre of civilians
haber una matanza
have a massacre
Similar words
masacre: Extremely brutal killing of numerous people at once, highlighting savage violence.
asesinato: Deliberate killing of a person carried out as a criminal act.
homicidio: Killing of one person by another, typically described in legal or factual terms.
genocidio: Planned mass killing targeting a specific group for ethnic, national, racial, or religious reasons.
Definition in Spanish
Designa el acto o el resultado de matar a muchas personas de forma violenta.
Word origin
The noun matanza comes from the verb matar "to kill" plus the suffix -anza, which forms nouns naming the act or result of an action.
Usage tips
- Mainly used in news and historical accounts, it commonly appears as la matanza de + [victims or location] and carries a formal, severe tone rather than casual speech.