empeño

See also: empeno and empeñó

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /emˈpeɲo/ [ẽmˈpe.ɲo]
• Rhymes: -eɲo
• Syllabification: em‧pe‧ño

Etymology 1

From Latin in pignus.

Noun

empeño m (plural empeños)

1. effort, endeavor

   Synonym: esfuerzo

2. insistence

   Synonym: insistencia

3. commitment

   Synonym: compromiso

4. obligation

   Synonym: obligación

5. persistence

   Synonym: persistencia

6. eagerness

   Synonym: avidez

7. pawn

   Synonym: peón

8. (Argentina, Honduras, Mexico) pawnshop

   Synonym: casa de empeño

9. deposit, container deposit (can or bottle deposit)
10. patron

    Synonym: patrón

Derived terms

• casa de empeño
• casa de empeños
• empeñoso

 

Related terms

• empeñar
• prenda

 

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

empeño

1. first-person singular present indicative of empeñar

Further reading

• “empeño”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.7, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2023 November 28