despistar (spanish) - meaning, definition, translation, pronunciation

Part of Speech

Verb

Phonetic Transcription

/dɛs.piˈstaɾ/

Translation Options into English

• To distract
• To confuse
• To mislead
• To throw off

Meaning and Usage

"Despistar" is a verb used in the Spanish language to indicate the act of distracting someone or causing confusion. It often implies leading someone away from their original focus or intent. The term can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but it tends to be more common in oral speech.

Frequency of Use

"Despistar" is moderately common in everyday conversation and writing, particularly in contexts involving deception or confusion.

Example Sentences

1. La estrategia del ladrón fue despistar a la policía.

2. The thief's strategy was to distract the police.

3. Siempre intento despistar a mis amigos cuando organizamos sorpresas.

4. I always try to mislead my friends when we plan surprises.

5. El mago logró despistar a la audiencia con su truco.

6. The magician managed to confuse the audience with his trick.

Idiomatic Expressions

While "despistar" itself is not commonly found in idiomatic expressions, it conveys ideas of distraction and confusion that can be expressed in various phrases. Here are a few expressions incorporating the concept of distraction or misleading:

1. Despistar a alguien con un cuento chino.
2. To mislead someone with a tall tale.
3. Siempre sabe despistar a todos con un cuento chino.

4. He always knows how to distract everyone with a tall tale.

5. No te dejes despistar por las apariencias.

6. Don’t be misled by appearances.
7. Es fácil despistarse, así que no te dejes despistar por las apariencias.

8. It's easy to get confused, so don't let yourself be misled by appearances.

9. Despistar con humo.

10. To distract with smoke (to create a diversion).
11. En la negociación, intentaron despistar con humo para ganar tiempo.

12. In the negotiation, they tried to distract with smoke to buy time.

13. Nos despistan con promesas vacías.

14. They mislead us with empty promises.
15. Muchos políticos nos despistan con promesas vacías en campaña.
16. Many politicians mislead us with empty promises during their campaign.

Etymology

The verb "despistar" derives from the prefix "des-", which indicates separation or negation, combined with the root "pistar", which comes from the Latin "pistare" meaning to crush or grind. The evolution signifies the act of 'distancing' someone from their focus or intention.

Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms

• Distract
• Desconcertar (to confuse)
• Desviar (to divert)

Antonyms

• Concentrar (to concentrate)
• Enfocar (to focus)
• Aclarar (to clarify)

In summary, "despistar" is a versatile verb that captures the essence of distraction and confusion in the Spanish language, frequently used in both spoken and written forms.