Meaning
to arouse, to awaken
- to wake up
- to stimulate or agitate
- to arouse (a feeling, thought, etc.)
In a sentence
Non volevo destare i bambini così presto.
I didn't want to wake the children so early.
Quella notizia ha destato molta paura in tutti.
That news stirred up a lot of fear in everyone.
Questo rumore ti desta ogni notte?
Does this noise wake you up every night?
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| destare | infinitive |
| destiamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| desto | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| destate | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| desti | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| destano | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| desta | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| destavamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| destavo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| destavate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| destavi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| destavano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| destava | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| destammo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| destai | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| destaste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| destasti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| destarono | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| destò | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| desteremo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| desterò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| desterete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| desterai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| desteranno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| desterà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| destiamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| desti | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| destiate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| desti | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| destino |
Usage notes
- More literary and formal than svegliare for physically waking someone; in everyday speech, svegliare is usually preferred.
- Very common in abstract uses: destare interesse, sospetti, preoccupazione. It often sounds natural with nouns for reactions or emotions.
- Mostly transitive: destare qualcuno/qualcosa. Reflexive destarsi exists but is literary; everyday Italian usually uses svegliarsi.