despertar

despertar (first-person singular indicative present despierto, past participle despertáu)

1. Alternative form of espertar

From Vulgar Latin *expertāre, from *expertus, from Latin experrēctus (“awoken”), perfect passive participle of expergīscor (“to awake, to wake up”).

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [dəs.pərˈta]
• IPA^(key): (Valencian) [des.peɾˈtaɾ]
• Rhymes: -a(ɾ)

despertar (first-person singular present desperto, first-person singular preterite despertí, past participle despertat); root stress: (Central) /ɛ/; (Valencian) /e/; (Balearic) /ə/

1. (transitive) to wake, awaken, wake up
2. (transitive) to wake up (a feeling, sentiment), arouse
3. (intransitive or takes a reflexive pronoun) to wake up (become awake)

• despert

• “despertar” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

From Old Galician-Portuguese despertar, from earlier espertar, from Vulgar Latin *expertāre, from *expertus, from Latin experrēctus (“awoken”), perfect passive participle of expergīscor (“to awake, to wake up”). Cognate with Galician despertar, espertar, Catalan and Spanish despertar.

despertar (first-person singular present desperto, first-person singular preterite despertei, past participle despertado)

1. (intransitive) to awake (gain consciousness)

   Synonyms: acordar, espertar

   Antonyms: cair no sono, dormir

2. (intransitive) to go off (alarm)

   Synonyms: alarmar, alvoraçar

3. (transitive) to awaken somebody
4. (transitive) to alarm (put on the alert)
5. (transitive with para) to become interested in
6. (transitive with para) to wake up to (become more aware of a situation)
7. (transitive, poetic) to awake (excite or to stir up something latent)

   Synonyms: acordar, espertar, desencadear

• desperto

From despierto (“awake”) +‎ -ar, or it may correspond to a Vulgar Latin *expertāre, from *expertus, from Latin experrēctus (“awoken”), perfect passive participle of expergīscor (“to awake, to wake up”). Cognate with Galician despertar, espertar, Catalan despertar, Portuguese despertar, and Walloon dispierter.

• IPA^(key): /despeɾˈtaɾ/ [d̪es.peɾˈt̪aɾ]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: des‧per‧tar

despertar (first-person singular present despierto, first-person singular preterite desperté, past participle despertado)

1. (transitive) to wake

   Despiértame a las siete, ¿vale?

   Wake me up at seven, OK?

2. (intransitive, often takes a reflexive pronoun) to wake up

   No me puedo despertar tan temprano.

   I can't wake up that early.

3. (figurative, transitive) to awaken
4. (figurative, transitive) to pique (interest, curiosity)

   Fue solo la mención de la posibilidad de juntarnos en el bar la que despertó su interés.

   The mere mention of the possibility of us getting together at the bar that piqued his interest.

despertar m (plural despertares)

1. awakening

   Synonym: despertamiento

• Despertar is a false friend, and does not mean "desperate". The word for "desperate" in Spanish is desesperado.

• “despertar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
• “despertar” in Diccionario panhispánico de dudas, segunda edición, Real Academia Española, 2023. →ISBN