masacrar

to massacre

verb mah-sah-KRAHR Rare

Origin: From French massacrer, ultimately of Germanic origin.

Usage Note

Masacrar is a strong, transitive verb meaning to kill a large number of people violently. It is used in historical and journalistic registers; in informal speech masacrar can also be used hyperbolically for a crushing defeat in sports ('nos masacraron tres a cero'). The related noun is masacre (feminine).

Examples

"Las tropas masacraron a los civiles en el pueblo."

Natural Translation

The troops massacred the civilians in the town.

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