Hincharse

Hincharse is a reflexive Spanish verb that denotes the action of swelling or becoming larger in size, either literally, through an increase in volume of a body part or object, or figuratively, through emotion or appetite. The form emphasizes that the subject experiences the swelling.

Literal use covers situations where parts of the body or objects inflate or accumulate fluid or air. For example, after an injury, a joint can swell: “Después del golpe, se le hinchó el tobillo.” Objects can also be described as swelling, as in a balloon reaching its capacity: “El globo se hinchó.”

Figurative uses are common and diverse. Hincharse can express pride or strong emotion: “se hinchó de orgullo” or “se hinchó de alegría” to convey a surge of self-esteem or happiness. It is also used with food and drink to indicate overeating: “hincharse de comer” meaning to eat until one is painfully full.

Related terms include hinchazón, the noun for swelling or edema, and hinchado, the adjective meaning swollen. Hincharse is often used interchangeably with inflarse in contexts that describe the subject’s experience of increasing size, though inflarse more neutrally stresses the act of filling with air or gas.

Regional note: while hincharse is widely understood across Spanish-speaking regions, some areas prefer inflarse or hinchar without the reflexive pronoun when describing non-subjective inflation.

In sum, hincharse covers both physical swelling and metaphorical swelling of pride or appetite, with the reflexive form highlighting the subject’s experience of the change.