abalar

Senses

1. 1.

   to shake, to make tremble

   to cause physical shaking or trembling of something

2. 2.

   to shake, to upset, to deeply affect

   to emotionally or psychologically disturb or impact someone

3. 3.

   to weaken, to undermine

   to make less stable or firm; to damage the foundation or strength of something

Examples

• "O terremoto abalou toda a cidade."

  The earthquake shook the entire city.

• "A notícia da morte dele abalou profundamente a família."

  The news of his death deeply shook the family.

• "O escândalo abalou a confiança do público no governo."

  The scandal undermined public confidence in the government.

Usage

Regular -ar verb. Most commonly used in figurative senses to describe emotional impact or destabilization. Common collocations include "abalar as estruturas" (shake the foundations), "abalar a confiança" (shake confidence), and "ficar abalado/a" (to be shaken/upset). The pronominal form "abalar-se" means to become shaken or upset.