derrochar
/deroˈt͡ʃaɾ/
To ball out in Spanish is to use derrochar.
The term is used to describe spending a large amount of money in a lavish or extravagant way.
Which one should you use?
Use fiestear a lo grande if you mean balling out by having a big party or celebrating in a grand manner, and use gastar a manos llenas to describe spending money freely. For spending a lot of money specifically on a celebration or a special event, use the idiom tirar la casa por la ventana.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The word despilfarrar, which means to squander or to spend recklessly, is used in both Spain and Latin America.
How does it change in a sentence?
derrochar is a regular -ar verb in the present tense.
How do you pronounce it?
/deroˈtʃaɾ/
Did you know?
- The idiom tirar la casa por la ventana literally means 'to throw the house through the window'.
- The verb derrochar is a close relative of derrocar, which means 'to overthrow' or 'to cast down' a government or leader.
- In Spanish culture, tirar la casa por la ventana is often specifically associated with weddings or fifteenth birthday parties.
Examples in context
- Me encanta derrochar dinero en cosas lujosas.I love to ball out on luxurious things.
- Después de ahorrar durante meses, finalmente pude derrochar dinero en un viaje al extranjero.After saving for months, I was finally able to ball out on a trip abroad.
- Vamos a fiestear a lo grande este fin de semana.We're going to ball out this weekend.
- Decidimos fiestear a lo grande para celebrar mi cumpleaños.We decided to ball out and celebrate my birthday in a big way.
- Siempre que salgo a comprar, acabo gastando a manos llenas.Whenever I go shopping, I end up balling out and spending a lot.
- No deberías derrochar tanto dinero en ropa.You shouldn't spend so much money balling out on clothes.
- Él prefiere derrochar su fortuna en viajes de lujo.He prefers to ball out on luxury trips with his fortune.
- Es un error derrochar todo el sueldo en una noche.It is a mistake to ball out and spend the whole salary in one night.
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are at a high-end shopping mall.
- DanielMira ese reloj, ¡quiero derrochar hoy!Look at that watch, I want to ball out today!
- LucíaDaniel, no puedes derrochar así todo el tiempo.Daniel, you cannot ball out like that all the time.
- DanielSolo por hoy, Lucía, me lo merezco.Just for today, Lucía, I deserve it.
- LucíaEstá bien, pero yo no voy a pagar.Alright, but I am not going to pay.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry derrochar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries derrochar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
