assustar

Assustar is a verb used in Spanish and Portuguese with the meaning of to frighten or to scare. It can describe a literal act of causing fear, as in a loud noise frightening someone, or a figurative impact, such as news that alarms or unsettles a group of people.

In both languages, assuar is typically transitive: you assusta someone or something. Reflexive forms exist as well, meaning to become frightened yourself: asustarse in Spanish and assustar-se in Portuguese. Examples include El ruido me asusta in Spanish and O barulho me assusta in Portuguese, or La noticia asustó a los niños and A notícia assustou os investidores. The verb is generally treated as regular for conjugation in common dialects, following standard -ar endings in each language.

Etymology links the verbs to related nouns meaning fear or fright in each language. In Portuguese, susto or a of similar lineage underlies assusta, while in Spanish a similar root connects asusto or susto to the verb asustar. The result is a family of terms used to convey both immediate fear and more prolonged apprehension.

Common uses and nuance include physical or emotional fear, warnings, or alarming situations. The verbs can appear in various registers, from everyday speech to journalism or literature. They are often contrasted with espantar, which can carry a nuance of frightening away or startling more aggressively, and with intimidar or alarmar, which emphasize persistence or alarm rather than a single instance of fear.

See also: espantar, asustado, susto, asusto, assustar-se.