Despistar

Despistar is a Spanish verb that primarily means to mislead or to throw someone off track. It is used in contexts of strategy, deception, or dissimulation, where the aim is to confuse another person, hide the truth, or divert attention. For example, one might say that a suspect tried to despistar the court with a vague alibi, or that a player used feints to despistar the opponent.

In addition to the transitive use, despistar can be reflexive or intransitive in everyday speech. Despistarse means to lose one’s bearings, to become distracted, or to miss a turn or opportunity. Common sentences include “Me despisté en la ruta y perdí la salida” or “Me despisté con el mensaje y olvidé la cita.” The adjective despistado describes someone who tends to be distracted or not paying attention, as in “Está un poco despistado hoy.” The noun despiste refers to a lapse, distraction, or misdirection.

Despistar is used across dialects of Spanish, though contexts and intensity vary. It is often paired with ideas like engañar or desorientar, but it carries a nuance of diversion rather than a straightforward lie. Related terms include desorientar (to disorient) and confundir (to confuse). In practical usage, despistar emphasizes the act of steering someone away from the truth or the correct path, whether temporarily in a conversation, in a game, or during a pursuit.