sferzare

Italian

Etymology

Unknown, but possibly sferza (whip, lash) + -are.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /sferˈt͡sa.re/
  • Rhymes: -are
  • Hyphenation: sfer‧zà‧re

Verb

sferzàre (first-person singular present sfèrzo, first-person singular past historic sferzài, past participle sferzàto, auxiliary avére) (transitive)

  1. to whip or lash
    Synonyms: frustare, fustigare, flagellare; see also Thesaurus:battere
  2. (figurative, by extension) to strike or hit violently (of a natural agent)
    le onde sferzavano la riva
    the waves broke on the shore
    la grandine ha sferzato la campagna
    the hail hit the countryside
  3. (figurative, by extension) to criticize harshly
    Synonyms: criticare, biasimare; see also Thesaurus:rimproverare
  4. (figurative, by extension) to stimulate; to spur
    Synonyms: incitare, pungolare, stimolare, spronare

Conjugation

Derived terms

Further reading

  • sferzare in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Anagrams

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