acribillar

Spanish

Etymology

From a- +‎ Late Latin cribellō (“to sift”).

Pronunciation

• Audio (Venezuela):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: a‧cri‧bi‧llar

Verb

acribillar (first-person singular present acribillo, first-person singular preterite acribillé, past participle acribillado)

1. (transitive) to riddle, pepper (with holes, bullets etc.)
   • 1973 September 11, Salvador Allende, Ultimas palabras:

     El pueblo debe defenderse, pero no sacrificarse. El pueblo no debe dejarse arrasar ni acribillar, pero tampoco puede humillarse.

     The people must defend themselves, but they must not sacrifice themselves. The people must not let themselves be destroyed or riddled with bullets, but they cannot be humiliated either.

   • 2011, Enrique Larroque, La Orden Secreta:

     se encontraba ante dos profesionales del ejército y con pistolas le acribillaron el cuerpo, dejándole muerto.

     he found himself in front of two army professionals and with pistols they riddled his body with bullets, leaving him dead.

2. (transitive) to pester, badger

Conjugation

Derived terms

Further reading

• “acribillar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014