Also means
to pick up (of wind, rain)
Usage Note
Arreciar is most naturally used for weather and conflict growing stronger; arreció el viento means 'the wind picked up.' It is also used figuratively — arreció la polémica — to convey that a controversy has grown fiercer. The verb is regular -ar and does not have stem changes.
Examples
"La tormenta arreció de repente."
Natural Translation
The storm suddenly intensified.

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