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explotar

to explode

verb eks-ploh-TAHR Less Common
People & Society Crime

Origin: From French exploiter and Latin explodere, converging in Spanish usage.

Also means

to exploit

Usage Note

Explotar carries two very different meanings depending on context: to blow up or burst (el coche explotó = the car exploded) and to exploit or take advantage of (explotar a los trabajadores = to exploit workers; explotar un recurso = to exploit a resource). Context is essential. The noun for an explosion is explosión, while explotación covers both the act of running an operation and the exploitation of people or resources.

Examples

"La bomba explotó en la madrugada."

Natural Translation

The bomb exploded in the early hours.

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