matar

Senses

1. 1.

   to kill

   to cause the death of a person or animal

2. 2.

   to turn off/extinguish

   to switch off a light, engine, or fire

3. 3.

   to suppress/eliminate

   to put an end to something abstract like a rumor, pain, or appetite

4. 4.

   to waste (time)

   to spend time idly or without purpose

Examples

• "El cazador mató al ciervo con un disparo."

  The hunter killed the deer with a shot.

• "Por favor, mata la luz antes de irte."

  Please turn off the light before you leave.

• "El dolor de cabeza me estaba matando, pero la medicina ayudó."

  The headache was killing me, but the medicine helped.

Usage

Matar is a common transitive verb with both literal and figurative uses. In figurative contexts like "me mata el trabajo" (the work is killing me) it conveys exhaustion or extreme discomfort without literal harm. It conjugates regularly in most tenses (mato, matas, mata, matamos, etc.).