Skip to content

defraudar

to disappoint

verb deh-frow-DAHR Rare
Mind & Emotions Emotions

Origin: Latin defraudare (to cheat).

Also means

to defraud

Usage Note

Defraudar has two distinct registers: in legal contexts it means to commit fraud or tax evasion (defraudar a Hacienda), but in everyday speech it very commonly means to disappoint or let someone down (me defraudó la película). This double life makes it a partial false friend — English 'to defraud' covers only the legal sense, missing the everyday emotional meaning entirely.

Examples

"La película nos defraudó bastante."

Natural Translation

The film disappointed us quite a bit.

Explore Spanish by topic