Spanish Conversation · Level 157
30 words
Spanish word
suplicio
Pronunciation
IPA/suˈpliθjo/
Meaning
- masculine nounagony
Example
La espera en el hospital fue un suplicio.
The wait at the hospital was agony.
More examples
El viaje de regreso con tanto tráfico fue un suplicio.
The return trip with so much traffic was an ordeal.
Core concept
An extended, unbearable ordeal of pain or distress.
Common phrases
ser un suplicio
be an ordeal
soportar un suplicio
endure an ordeal
Similar words
dolor: Acute physical pain or bodily discomfort.
sufrimiento: Long-lasting state of suffering or distress.
calvario: Seemingly endless, gruelling ordeal of hardship.
tortura: Deliberate act that causes extreme physical and mental pain.
Definition in Spanish
Dolor o sufrimiento intenso, físico o moral, que suele prolongarse y resultar muy difícil de soportar.
Word origin
From Latin supplicium 'punishment, torture', suplicio has shifted from naming formal punishment to referring to any prolonged, hard-to-bear suffering.
Usage tips
- Frequently appears with verbs like ser, pasar, or sufrir (fue un suplicio, pasamos un suplicio, sufrió un suplicio) to describe an experience rather than a legal penalty.