empertigarse

[em.per.ti.ˈɡar.se]

verb

to stand up straight; to stiffen up; to become stiff or rigid

1. to adopt a stiff, upright posture; to stand very straight

He empertigarse when the authority figure entered the room.

Ele se empertigou quando a figura de autoridade entrou na sala.

2. to become rigid or stiff in body or manner; to assume an affected posture

She empertigarse with pride when receiving the award.

Ela se empertigou de orgulho ao receber o prêmio.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Regional Variations

General Brazilian

ficar rígido; endireitar-se

Less common in modern Brazilian Portuguese

Portugal

ficar direito; enrijecer-se

Archaic usage in Portugal

Spain

empertigarse

More commonly used in Spanish; rare in Portuguese

empertigarse de orgullo (to stiffen with pride)

empertigarse como un palo (to become stiff as a stick)

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