contrair

Senses

1. 1.

   to contract (a disease/illness)

   to catch or acquire an illness or disease

2. 2.

   to contract (a debt/obligation)

   to incur a debt, obligation, or commitment

3. 3.

   to contract (muscles)

   to tighten or cause to become smaller

Examples

• "Ele contraiu uma pneumonia grave no inverno passado."

  He contracted severe pneumonia last winter.

• "A empresa contraiu uma dívida enorme com o banco."

  The company incurred a huge debt with the bank.

• "O atleta contraiu os músculos antes de saltar."

  The athlete contracted his muscles before jumping.

Usage

Common verb in formal and medical contexts. Most frequently used with "dívida" (debt) and disease names like "gripe" (flu), "dengue," "malária." The conjugation is irregular, following the pattern of "trair": contraio, contrai, contraiu, etc. Often confused with "contratar" (to hire).