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afundar

[a.fun.ˈdar]
verb
to sink, to submerge, to go under
1. to cause something to go underwater or below the surface
The ship began to sink after hitting the rocks.
O navio começou a afundar depois de bater nas rochas.
2. to descend or sink into something soft or liquid
His feet sank into the mud.
Seus pés afundaram na lama.
3. to fall deeply into a negative state or situation (figurative)
He sank into depression after losing his job.
Ele afundou em depressão depois de perder o emprego.
4. to push or plunge something downward
She thrust the knife into the cake.
Ela afundou a faca no bolo.
Synonyms
submergirimergirmergulhardescernaufragar
Antonyms
flutuarboiaremergirsubirelevar

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
afundar
standard usage across Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
afundar
common in both formal and casual speech
São Paulo
afundar
standard usage, often used metaphorically in business contexts
Portugal
afundar
standard usage, equivalent to English 'sink'

Related Idioms & Phrases

afundar em dívidas (to sink into debt)
afundar-se em trabalho (to be buried in work)
o navio afundou (the ship went down - referring to failure or collapse)
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