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desmayar

to faint, to lose heart

verb des-mah-YAHR Rare

Usage Note

Desmayar (transitive) means 'to make someone faint or lose courage,' but the much more common use is reflexive: desmayarse ('to faint, to pass out'). Se desmayó de calor means 'she fainted from the heat.' The noun is desmayo ('fainting spell'); sin desmayo is an idiom meaning 'without faltering, tirelessly.'

Examples

"Se desmayó al ver la sangre."

Natural Translation

She fainted when she saw the blood.

Literal Translation

Herself fainted upon seeing the blood.

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