estrellarse

Estrellarse is a Spanish verb that denotes a violent impact or collision, either literal or figurative. In its reflexive form, estrellarse (se estrellar) describes the subject crashing into an obstacle: El coche se estrelló contra un muro. It can also be used transitively with estrellar to emphasize the impact: alguien estrelló la aeronave contra la montaña, though the reflexive form is more common for accidents.

Metaphorically, estrellarse often means to fail spectacularly or to be defeated by reality: La empresa se estrelló con la crisis; el proyecto se estrelló ante la resistencia. This usage conveys abrupt incompatibility between planes and actual conditions, ideas and feasibility, or expectations and results.

Noun form and related terms include estrellamiento, referring to the act or result of crashing, and estrellado, used as an adjective meaning “crashed” or “shattered.” The verb is categorized as regular -ar in many conjugations, with reflexive forms used for the intransitive sense of a crash and transitive uses for causing an impact, for example: yo estrello, tú estrellas, él estrelló, nosotros estrellamos, vosotros estrelláis, ellos estrellan; me estrello, te estrellas, se estrelló, nos estrellamos, os estrelláis, se estrellan.

Originates from the noun estrella (star), a relation often explained in Spanish etymology as a metaphor for a sudden, decisive impact. See also chocar, colisionar, accidente for related notions. English equivalents include crash, collide, or to fail spectacularly, depending on context.