Spanish Conversation · Level 41
75 words
Spanish word
mutilar
Pronunciation
IPA/mutiˈlaɾ/
Meaning
- verbmaim
Example
La explosión mutiló a varios soldados.
The explosion maimed several soldiers.
More examples
Tras el accidente, le habían mutilado la mano y necesitó cirugía.
After the accident, his hand had been amputated and he needed surgery.
Core concept
Severe physical disfigurement from cutting off or destroying a body part.
Common phrases
mutilar la mano
amputate the hand
Similar words
lastimar: Cause physical pain or minor bodily injury.
lesionar: Cause localized bodily damage such as bruises, sprains, or strains from a blow or twist.
Definition in Spanish
Indica provocar que alguien pierda una extremidad o sufra daños severos en una parte del cuerpo por una acción u ocasión externa.
Word origin
It comes from Latin mutilare, based on mutilus 'maimed', and retains the sense of cutting off or making something incomplete.
Usage tips
- Register is harsh and vivid in Spanish, so the word appears often in news or crime contexts while medical contexts prefer amputar or perder una extremidad.
Other meanings
- cut offverb
- cut upverb
Opposites
- reconstruirreconstructverb
- curarhealverb
Related words
- mutilaciónamputationnoun
- mutiladomutilatedadjective