a fuerza de

Spanish

Etymology

Compare French à force de.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Spain) /a ˈfweɾθa de/ [a ˈfweɾ.θa ð̞e]
• IPA^(key): (Latin America, Philippines) /a ˈfweɾsa de/ [a ˈfweɾ.sa ð̞e]
• Syllabification: a fuer‧za de

Preposition

a fuerza de

1. by dint of, by (used to suggest a means to an end, especially one that required great effort)

   A fuerza de cortar leña con su hacha, se le encallecieron las manos.

   By cutting wood with an axe, her hands hardened up.

   • 2015 October 12, “Lionel Messi, su papá y el banquillo de Gavá”, in El País‎^[1]:

     A fuerza de teorías conspiratorias, nacionalismos de vía estrecha, laberintos societarios para engañar a la Hacienda pública y mensajes simples de catecismo, el ámbito del fútbol se ha convertido en una tundra inhóspita vedada para la racionalidad y la continencia verbal.

     By dint of conspiracy theories, narrow-track nationalisms, corporate mazes to deceive the Public Treasury and simple catechism messages, the field of soccer has become an inhospitable tundra forbidden for rationality and verbal continence.

Further reading

• “a fuerza de”, in Diccionario de la lengua española (in Spanish), online version 23.7, Royal Spanish Academy, 2023 November 28