cutucar

Senses

1. 1.

   to poke, to nudge

   to touch or push someone/something with a finger or object, often to get attention

2. 2.

   to provoke, to tease

   to irritate or provoke someone intentionally, often playfully or to elicit a reaction

3. 3.

   to poke (on social media)

   to send a poke notification on Facebook or similar platforms

Examples

• "Ela me cutucou durante a aula para me mostrar algo no celular."

  She poked me during class to show me something on her phone.

• "Não fica cutucando a onça com vara curta!"

  Don't go poking the jaguar with a short stick! (Don't provoke trouble!)

• "Meu irmão adora me cutucar só para me irritar."

  My brother loves to tease me just to annoy me.

Usage

Common informal verb in Brazilian Portuguese. Often used in the expression "cutucar a onça com vara curta" (to poke trouble/danger). The noun form is "cutucada" (a poke/nudge). Conjugates regularly as an -ar verb, with spelling change c→qu before e (e.g., "que eu cutugue").