guastare

From Latin vastāre, present active infinitive of vastō, influenced by Frankish *wuastijan, *wōstēn, *wōstijan, from Proto-Germanic *wōstijaną. Compare Portuguese and Spanish gastar (“to spend”).

• IPA^(key): /ɡwasˈta.re/, [ɡwäs̪ˈt̪äːr̺e̞]
• Rhymes: -are
• Hyphenation: gua‧stà‧re

guastare

1. (transitive, obsolete) to destroy, lay waste (to)

   Synonyms: devastare, distruggere

2. (transitive, obsolete) to mutilate

   Synonym: mutilare

3. (transitive, obsolete) to execute (to put to death)

   Pregò colui che a guastare il menava ― He begged the one who was carrying him to be executed

   Synonym: giustiziare

4. (transitive, literally and figuratively) to ruin

   La piena ha guastato il ponte. ― The flood has ruined the bridge.

   La notizia ci guastò la festa. ― The news spoiled the party for us.

   Synonym: rovinare

5. (transitive) to break (to cause to stop functioning or being serviceable)

   I ragazzi hanno guastato tutte le sedie del salotto.

   The boys broke all the chairs in the living room.

   Synonym: rompere

6. (transitive) to damage

   I cibi grassi guastano lo stomaco. ― Fatty foods damage the stomach.

   Synonym: danneggiare

7. (transitive, of foodstuffs) to cause to spoil or go bad

   Guasterete il vino non mettendovi l'olio. ― If you don't put the oil in, you'll make the wine go bad.

   Synonym: far andare a male

8. (transitive) to corrupt, lead astray

   Synonym: corrompere

9. (transitive) to undo (in order to do again, usually in a different way)

   Ogni notte, Penelope guastava parte della tela che aveva tessuto durante il giorno.

   Each night, Penelope was undoing part of the shroud she'd been weaving during the day.

   Synonym: disfare

• guasto (“breakdown”)
• guastarsi

• devastare

• guasterà, segatura