| Principal Translations |
| matar⇒ vtr | (quitar la vida) | kill⇒ vtr |
| | (unlawfully) | murder⇒ vtr |
| | (for food) | slaughter⇒ vtr |
| | El zoólogo está estudiando el comportamiento de algunas especies que matan a sus crías. |
| | The zoologist is studying the behavior of some species that kill their young. |
| matar vtr | (destruir) (figurative:emotion) | kill⇒, destroy⇒, extinguish⇒ vtr |
| | La convivencia mata la pasión. |
| | Living together kills passion. |
| matar vtr | (mitigar, calmar) (hunger: few hours) | tide you over v expr |
| | (hunger: longer) | satisfy⇒ vtr |
| | (thirst) | quench⇒ vtr |
| | (pain) | deaden⇒, blunt⇒, kill⇒ vtr |
| | Vamos a tomar unos aperitivos para matar el hambre. El agua mata la sed. |
| | We're going to eat a few appetizers to tide us over. |
| matar vtr | figurado (causar dolor) (figurative: discomfort) | kill⇒, torture⇒ vtr |
| | Estos tacones me están matando. |
| | These heels are killing (or: torturing) me. |
| matar vtr | (pasar el rato) (time) | kill⇒ vtr |
| | Estamos matando el tiempo hasta la hora de cenar. |
| | We're killing time until it's dinner time. |
| matar vtr | figurado (sorprender) | be amazed, be astounded v aux + past p |
| | ¡Me matas con esa noticia! |
| | I am amazed by that news. |
| matarse⇒ v prnl | (suicidarse) | kill yourself, commit suicide v expr |
| | Se mató de un tiro en la cabeza. |
| | He killed himself (or: committed suicide) with a gunshot to the head. |
| matarse v prnl | informal (morir violentamente) | be killed v aux + past p |
| | | die⇒ vi |
| | Muchos se matan por conducir ebrios; es un problema grave. Mi hermano se mató en un accidente de coche. |
| | Many people are killed by drunk driving. It's a serious problem. // My brother was killed in a car accident. |
matarse por hacer algo,
matarse a hacer algo v prnl + prep | figurado, coloquial (esforzarse mucho) (colloquial) | bust a gut v expr |
| | (colloquial) | bend over backwards v expr |
| | (figurative, colloquial) | break your back v expr |
| | Teresa se mata por hacer felices a sus hijos. |
| | Me mato a trabajar para pagar la hipoteca. |
| | I'm busting a gut to pay off the mortgage. |