Spanish Conversation · Level 67
60 words
Spanish word
tonificar
Pronunciation
IPA/tonifiˈkaɾ/
Meaning
- verbtone
Example
Quiero tonificar mis abdominales con ejercicios cortos.
I want to tone my abs with short exercises.
More examples
Quiero tonificar las piernas para correr mejor.
I want to tone my legs to run better.
Core concept
Subtle muscle definition that keeps shape but not bulk.
Common phrases
tonificar los músculos
tone the muscles
tonificar el cuerpo
tone the body
tonificar los abdominales
tone the abs
Similar words
fortalecer: Increases muscles' capacity to generate force, building functional strength.
definir: Highlights the shape of muscles so their contours become clearly visible.
reafirmar: Brings back lost firmness to skin or muscles that have become loose.
marcar: Creates crisp muscle lines by emphasizing the borders between adjacent muscles.
Definition in Spanish
Hacer que una parte del cuerpo, especialmente músculos o piel, quede más firme y definida sin aumentar mucho su volumen.
Word origin
The verb comes from Greek tonos 'tension' via Latin tonus plus the Spanish verb-forming suffix -ificar, giving the sense 'to give tension or firmness'.
Usage tips
- In exercise talk, tonificar emphasizes improving firmness and outline rather than increasing strength or mass, so use fortalecer or ganar masa when meaning 'build muscle'.