Spanish word

matizar

Pronunciation

IPA/matiˈθaɾ/

Meaning

  • verbqualify

Example

Quiero matizar lo que dije.

I want to qualify what I said.

Illustration for matizar (qualify)

More examples

¿Puedes matizar tu respuesta para que sea más clara?

Could you nuance your response so it's clearer?

Core concept

A small adjustment to a speaker's tone or meaning.

Common phrases

  • matizar una respuesta

    nuance a response

  • matizar una crítica

    soften a criticism

  • matizar el mensaje

    fine-tune the message

Similar words

moderar: Reduces the force of words or behavior to produce a more measured, moderate tone.
suavizar: Softens an expression or tone so it sounds gentler and less sharp.
atenuar: Diminishes intensity or impact so the effect becomes less noticeable.

Definition in Spanish

Modificar levemente el tono o el significado de una expresión introduciendo una diferencia sutil.

Word origin

The verb derives from the noun matiz 'nuance' plus the verbal suffix -ar, originally meaning to add a slight nuance or tint that alters a statement subtly.

Usage tips

  • Commonly used to introduce a gentle caveat in conversation and business speech, with collocations like 'matizar una opinión' and 'matizar una declaración'.

Other meanings

  • softenverb
  • tintverb
  • elaborateverb

Opposites

Related words

  • matizaciónqualificationnoun
  • matiznuancenoun

Word lists with this word