alud

avalanche

noun ah-LOOD Rare

Origin: From Basque, related to lur (earth) and elur (snow).

Usage Note

Alud means a mass of snow, ice, or rock sliding rapidly down a mountainside. The final d is pronounced (ah-LOOD). By extension, un alud de críticas means 'an avalanche of criticism'. The plural is aludes. It is rarer than avalancha, which is the more common everyday synonym.

Examples

"Un alud cortó la carretera de montaña."

Natural Translation

An avalanche cut off the mountain road.

Free starter pack

Building your Spanish vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Spanish words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore Spanish by topic

SpanishNow

How to Say "I Like" in Spanish: Gustar Without the Confusion

Say I like in Spanish with gustar the right way: me gusta vs me gustan, why it's never yo gusto, the pronouns, articles, and five verbs that copy the pattern.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

How to Introduce Yourself in Spanish: 12 Real Phrases

Introduce yourself in Spanish with 12 ready-to-speak phrases — name, origin, age, and job — in both tú and usted, with the verb traps that trip up beginners.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

SpanishNow

Te Quiero vs Te Amo: Saying "I Love You" in Spanish

Te quiero vs te amo, explained: te quiero is the warm, safe everyday I love you; te amo is deeper and more romantic. A relationship-by-relationship map.

June 3, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

Spanish Object Pronouns: Lo, La, Le & Se Made Simple

Use lo/la for the direct object and le for the indirect — and le becomes se before lo/la. Master Spanish object pronouns with one simple verb test.

June 9, 2026 6 min read