Verb
/kɾuˈxiɾ/
The verb "crujir" is used to describe a sound made when something hard or brittle is broken or crushed. It can refer to the sound of food being bitten, like chips or popcorn, as well as the creaking of wood or cracking of bones. "Crujir" is commonly used in both oral speech and written contexts, with a slight preference for everyday conversation due to its descriptive nature.
Frequency of Use: Moderately common; the word appears frequently in both informal and formal communications, especially concerning food and sounds made by materials.
Cuando muerdo la galleta, me encanta el sonido que hace al crujir. When I bite the cookie, I love the sound it makes when it crunches.
Durante la tormenta, el viento hacía que los árboles crujieran. During the storm, the wind made the trees creak.
Al caminar sobre la nieve, se podía oír el crujir de la nieve bajo mis pies. Walking on the snow, I could hear the crunch of the snow under my feet.
Although "crujir" itself isn't a common component of fixed idiomatic expressions, it can find its way into various colloquial phrases that capture the essence of sound or breaking. Here are some examples where "crujir" could be used in idiomatic contexts:
Translation: When he told the joke, we all cracked up laughing.
Crujir como una galleta
Translation: She seems strong, but she cracks like a cookie under stress.
El crujir de un secreto
The verb "crujir" comes from the Latin word cruciare, which means "to torture" and also refers to the sound of crunching or cracking. The evolution of its meaning has maintained the association with sounds related to damage or breaking.
Synonyms: - rechinar (to creak) - crujir (to crunch)
Antonyms: - suavizar (to soften) - calmar (to quiet)