Change: Upper-intermediate Spanish vocabulary

62 Spanish words about change at upper-intermediate level. Each entry links to the full meaning, a real example sentence, and usage notes written for English speakers.

• desarrollonoundevelopment
• progresonounprogress — forward movement or improvement towards a better state; normatively positive unlike desarrollo
• convertirverbto convert, to turn into
• surgirverbto arise, to come up
• transformarverbto transform — to change something fundamentally in nature or structure; more radical than cambiar
• adaptarseverbto adapt to, to adjust to
• disminuirverbto diminish, to reduce
• retonounchallenge — a difficult task or goal to be faced and overcome; often aspirational in tone
• desafíonounchallenge — a major difficulty or problem that demands a response; often at greater scale than reto
• sostenibilidadnounsustainability — the capacity of a system or model to be maintained over the long term without depleting resources or causing irreversible harm
• extenderseverbto spread, to expand — to gradually reach a wider area or more people
• frágiladjectivefragile — inherently weak and liable to break or collapse under pressure; precarious
• alterarverbto alter, to disrupt
• evolucionarverbto evolve, to develop gradually
• desplazarseverbto be displaced, to relocate
• propagarseverbto propagate, to spread
• escalarverbto escalate, to mount
• consolidarseverbto consolidate, to become firmly established — to gradually achieve stability and permanence
• aliviarverbto alleviate, to relieve
• extinguirverbto extinguish, to die out
• cambianteadjectivechanging, shifting — constantly in flux or transformation
• retrocesonounsetback, regression
• sustentarseverbto be sustained, to be underpinned
• agravarseverbto worsen, to deteriorate — to become more serious or severe
• conversiónnounconversion, transformation
• estancamientonounstagnation
• derivar (hacia)verbto drift, to move gradually in an unintended direction
• huella ecológicanounecological footprint
• desvanecerseverbto fade, to dissolve
• mitigarverbto mitigate
• resilienteadjectiveresilient
• volátiladjectivevolatile
• agudizarseverbto intensify, to sharpen
• corriente dominantenounmainstream, dominant current
• paliarverbto palliate, to ease — to relieve the symptoms or suffering caused by something without addressing root causes
• gradualadjectivegradual — taking place in stages over time; not sudden
• enquistadoadjectiveentrenched — deeply embedded and impervious to change; like a cyst that cannot be removed without surgery
• cuajarverbto take hold, to materialise
• evoluciónnounevolution, development
• obsoletoadjectiveoutdated, obsolete — no longer in use or valid; superseded
• modificaciónnouna change made to something in order to improve it or adapt it to new requirements
• radicaladjectiveradical — involving fundamental change or going to the root of something; can describe political positions or transformational change
• desplazarverbto shift, to displace
• encogerverbto shrink, to contract
• emergerverbto emerge, to come forth
• deslizarseverbto slip, to slide
• dispararse (subir bruscamente)verbto soar, to spike sharply
• velozadjectiveswift, fast — moving or acting with great speed
• variableadjectivevariable — liable to change; not fixed or constant
• frenarverbto stem, to halt the advance of
• sustituirverbto substitute, to replace
• hundirseverbto plunge, to collapse
• variarverbto vary, to differ
• debilitar(se)verbto weaken, to undermine
• reconstruirverbto reconstruct, to rebuild
• marchitarseverbto wither, to fade
• reformarverbto reform; to renovate
• bajarverbto lower, to reduce
• modificarverbto modify, to change
• reemplazar / sustituirverbto replace, to substitute
• invertir (una tendencia)verbto reverse
• transiciónnountransition — the gradual process of moving from one state or system to another; 'transición democrática/energética'