I found the chocolates cloying after the third one.
El agua se empalagó en la parte baja del prado.
The water pooled in the lower part of the meadow.
Su manera exageradamente cariñosa me empalaga.
His excessively affectionate manner cloys me.
Similar words
anegar
cansar
estomagar
hartar
repugnar
hastiar
empachar
empachar
encharcar
inmovilizar
Meanings
Waterlog land
verb
land and water
archaic
To flood land or form a large pool of standing water on it, usually in pronominal use.
Examples
Las lluvias empalagaron el terreno junto al río.
The rain waterlogged the land beside the river.
El agua se empalagó en la parte baja del prado.
The water pooled in the lower part of the meadow.
Después del temporal, la vega quedó empalagada durante días.
After the storm, the floodplain remained waterlogged for days.
El cauce desbordado empalaga estos campos cada invierno.
The overflowing channel floods these fields every winter.
Drenaron la parcela para que no volviera a empalagarse.
They drained the plot so it would not become waterlogged again.
Similar words
encharcar
anegar
inundar
embalsar
Stop a watermill
verb
milling
archaic
For a large backwater to leave a watermill unable to move, usually in pronominal use.
Examples
El remanso empalagó el molino y detuvo la rueda.
The backwater stalled the mill and stopped the wheel.
Cuando subía el agua, el molino se empalagaba.
When the water rose, the mill would stall.
Abrieron la compuerta para evitar que se empalagara el molino.
They opened the sluice to keep the mill from stalling.
El exceso de agua empalaga el rodezno.
Too much water stalls the horizontal waterwheel.
La corriente perdió fuerza y el molino quedó empalagado.
The current weakened and the mill was left stalled.
Similar words
detener
parar
inmovilizar
atascar
Upset digestion
verb
digestion
neutral
For indigestible or excessive food to cause discomfort in the digestive tract.
Examples
La cena tan pesada me empalagó el estómago.
The very heavy dinner upset my stomach.
Aquel guiso grasiento suele empalagarme.
That greasy stew tends to make me feel overfull.
El exceso de comida lo empalagó durante horas.
Too much food upset his digestion for hours.
Si comes demasiado, puedes empalagarte.
If you eat too much, you may feel uncomfortably full.
La salsa resultó indigesta y nos empalagó.
The sauce was indigestible and upset our stomachs.
Similar words
empachar
indigestar
estomagar
hartar
Become cloying in taste
verb
food
neutral
For food, especially something sweet, to produce weariness or disgust through excessive richness.
Examples
El pastel tiene tanta miel que empalaga.
The cake has so much honey that it is cloying.
Me empalagaron los bombones después del tercero.
I found the chocolates cloying after the third one.
Este postre es rico, pero puede empalagar pronto.
This dessert is tasty, but it can quickly become cloying.
Se empalagó de tanto comer dulce.
She became sick of eating so many sweets.
La crema resulta demasiado densa y empalaga.
The cream is too dense and becomes cloying.
Similar words
empachar
hartar
cansar
estomagar
Become cloying or tiresome
verb
emotion and style
neutral
For a person, attitude, style, or other non-food experience to cause weariness or aversion through excess.
Examples
Su manera exageradamente cariñosa me empalaga.
His excessively affectionate manner cloys me.
La película empalaga con tanto sentimentalismo.
The film becomes cloying with so much sentimentality.
Ese tono complaciente acaba por empalagar.
That ingratiating tone eventually becomes tiresome.
Nos empalagó la decoración recargada del salón.
The room's ornate decoration became tiresome to us.
La publicidad se vuelve tan tierna que empalaga.
The advertising becomes so sugary that it cloys.
Similar words
hastiar
cansar
fastidiar
aburrir
repugnar
cargar
Etymology
From Spanish piélago, meaning a large expanse or pool of water. The original idea of water collecting and stopping movement later broadened to digestive and emotional surfeit.
FAQ
What does empalagar mean?
In everyday use, empalagar means to become cloying or tiresome, especially because something is too sweet, rich, sentimental, or excessive.
What is the difference between empalagar and empalagarse?
Empalagar can take the thing or person affected as an object, while empalagarse presents that person, food, place, or mechanism as becoming saturated or cloyed.
Can empalagar describe a person or film?
Yes. A person, film, style, or advertisement can empalagar when excessive affection or sentimentality becomes tiresome.
Does empalagar only refer to sweet food?
No. It can refer to digestive discomfort, figurative excess, and two old senses involving pooled water and watermills.
How is empalagar conjugated?
It follows the pattern of verbs ending in -gar. The spelling changes to gu before e, as in empalagué and empalague.
Where does empalagar come from?
Empalagar is related to piélago, a word for a large expanse or pool of water, which explains its old waterlogging sense.
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