despistar
/despisˈtaɾ/
The English phrase 'throw off' can be translated into Spanish as despistar.
Meaning: remove eg clothing (verb)
Which one should you use?
The term despistar is used when the intent is to mislead or throw someone off a trail. For formal contexts, Liberarse de is used when freeing oneself from a hindrance or burden, while Despojarse de conveys the sense of discarding or removing something. In informal settings, Zafarse de is used to indicate getting away from something or shirking a responsibility and Quitarse de encima is used when ridding oneself of a problem or a burden.
How do you pronounce it?
/despisˈtaɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to use despistar when you mean the physical act of throwing off clothing. In Spanish, despistar actually means to mislead or to throw someone off their scent.
Did you know?
- While despistar means to mislead, the word pista is used in Spanish to describe a dance floor, a skiing slope and an athletic track.
- The prefix des- in despistar is a direct descendant of the Latin dis-, which is the same root used in English words like 'distance' and 'dismiss'.
- To 'throw off' a bad habit requires the verb deshacerse de, because using despistar would imply you are trying to trick your own habit.
Examples in context
- No puedo liberarme de esta responsabilidad.I can't throw off this responsibility.
- Es necesario despojarse de los prejuicios.It is necessary to throw off prejudices.
- Siempre intenta zafarse de sus tareas.He/she always tries to throw off his/her tasks.
- Debemos quitarnos de encima esta situación complicada.We need to throw off this complicated situation.
- Voy a liberarme de los malos hábitos.I'm going to throw off bad habits.
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía enter their house after a rainy walk.
- JavierHace calor aquí adentro, voy a despistar mi bufanda.It's warm in here, I'm going to throw off my scarf.
- SofíaYo también, mi abrigo pesa mucho.Me too, my coat is very heavy.
- JavierPon tu ropa en el perchero, Sofía.Put your clothes on the coat rack, Sofía.
- SofíaEstá bien, Javier, ya lo hago.Alright, Javier, I'm doing it now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry despistar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries despistar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
