a quemarropa

[a kemaˈropa]

/[a kemaˈropa]/ phrase

The verdict

“a quemarropa” is uncommon Spanish (outside the top frequency list), classed as a phrase. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency Spanish
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Dicho de un disparo de arma de fuego, realizado desde tan corta distancia que la deflagración de la pólvora provoca o podría provocar quemaduras en la ropa de la víctima.

Key facts for a quemarropa
PropertyValue
Headworda quemarropa
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[a kemaˈropa]
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “a quemarropa” sits in Spanish frequency

a quemarropa falls outside the top-100,000 ranked Spanish words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

a quemarropa is uncommon Spanish outside the top frequency list, classed as aphrase, transcribed [a kemaˈropa]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for a quemarropa, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct Spanish form is a quemarropa, spelled A- -Q-U-E-M-A-R-R-O-P-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Dicho de un disparo de arma de fuego, realizado desde tan corta distancia que la deflagración de la pólvora provoca o podría provocar quemaduras en la ropa de la víctima.
  2. 2
    Por extensión, de modo brusco, sopresivo y demasiado directo.
  3. 3
    Desde una distancia extraordinariamente cerca.
  4. 4
    De modo brutal, sin previo aviso ni consideraciones.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "a quemarropa"?
"a quemarropa" is spelled A- -Q-U-E-M-A-R-R-O-P-A. The IPA pronunciation is [a kemaˈropa].
What does "a quemarropa" mean?
As a phrase, "a quemarropa" means: Dicho de un disparo de arma de fuego, realizado desde tan corta distancia que la deflagración de la pólvora provoca o podría provocar quemaduras en la ropa de la víctima.
How do you pronounce "a quemarropa"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "a quemarropa" is [a kemaˈropa]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "a quemarropa" come from?
"a quemarropa" is a Spanish word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “a quemarropa”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is A- -Q-U-E-M-A-R-R-O-P-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [a kemaˈropa] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list