Meaning
catch off guard, disorient
- To surprise someone in a way that leaves them unprepared or at a loss
- To wrong-foot an opponent (in sports)
In a sentence
La sua risposta improvvisa ha saputo spiazzare l'intera commissione.
His sudden answer managed to catch the entire committee off guard.
La notizia delle sue dimissioni non ha spiazzato nessuno in ufficio.
The news of his resignation caught no one off guard in the office.
Quella mossa inaspettata ti ha davvero spiazzato durante il dibattito?
Did that unexpected move really catch you off guard during the debate?
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| spiazzare | infinitive |
| spiazzo | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| spiazzi | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| spiazza | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| spiazziamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| spiazzate | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| spiazzano | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| spiazzavo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| spiazzavi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| spiazzava | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| spiazzavamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| spiazzavate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| spiazzavano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| spiazzai | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| spiazzasti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| spiazzò | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| spiazzammo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| spiazzaste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| spiazzarono | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| spiazzerò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| spiazzerai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| spiazzerà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| spiazzeremo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| spiazzerete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| spiazzeranno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| spiazzi | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| spiazzi | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| spiazzi | subjunctive · present · singular · 3rd person |
| spiazziamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| spiazzate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| spiazzino | subjunctive · present · plural · 3rd person |
| spiazzassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| spiazzassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| spiazzasse | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| spiazzassimo | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| spiazzaste | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| spiazzassero | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| spiazzerei | conditional · present · singular · 1st person |
| spiazzeresti | conditional · present · singular · 2nd person |
| spiazzerebbe | conditional · present · singular · 3rd person |
| spiazzeremmo | conditional · present · plural · 1st person |
| spiazzereste | conditional · present · plural · 2nd person |
| spiazzerebbero | conditional · present · plural · 3rd person |
| spiazza | imperative · singular · 2nd person |
| spiazziamo | imperative · plural · 1st person |
| spiazzate | imperative · plural · 2nd person |
| spiazzando | gerund |
| spiazzato | past · participle |
Usage notes
- Originates from sports (wrong-footing a goalkeeper), now widely used figuratively.