derrubar

Senses

1. 1.

   to knock down, to bring down

   to cause something or someone to fall to the ground

2. 2.

   to overthrow, to topple

   to remove a government or leader from power

3. 3.

   to demolish, to tear down

   to destroy a building or structure

4. 4.

   to defeat, to shoot down

   to reject or vote down a proposal, law, or idea

Examples

• "O vento forte derrubou várias árvores na rua."

  The strong wind knocked down several trees on the street.

• "Os manifestantes querem derrubar o governo."

  The protesters want to overthrow the government.

• "A prefeitura vai derrubar o prédio abandonado."

  The city hall is going to demolish the abandoned building.

Usage

Common verb in both literal and figurative contexts. Often used with objects like "árvore" (tree), "parede" (wall), "governo" (government), or "proposta" (proposal). The reflexive form "derrubar-se" is rare; use "cair" (to fall) instead for intransitive meanings.