atascada

Atascada is the feminine form of the past participle of the Spanish verb atascar. It functions as an adjective and is used to describe something that is jammed, blocked, or impeded. The term appears in both physical and figurative contexts, and is common in everyday speech across Spanish-speaking regions.

In physical terms, atascada describes objects or mechanisms that cannot move because of an obstruction or faulty alignment. Examples include a puerta atascada (a door that won’t open), una tubería atascada (a clogged pipe), or una pieza atascada within una máquina. In figurative uses, atascada characterizes situations that fail to progress due to obstacles, such as procesos atascados (stalled processes), trámites atascados (bogged-down bureaucratic procedures), or una economía atascada (a stalled economy).

Grammatical notes: atascada agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies (una puerta atascada, unas tuberías atascadas). It is commonly used with estar or quedarse to indicate a current state, such as "la puerta está atascada" or "el proyecto se quedó atascado." The related noun atasco denotes a blockage or traffic jam, while atascar and its forms describe the action of causing a blockage.

Etymology is not always explicit in common usage, but atascar generally conveys the idea of hindering movement, whether by physical obstruction or by accumulated complexities. Related terms include atascamiento (noun) and atascarse (to become jammed oneself). This term is widely understood in Spanish to express both literal and metaphorical impediments.