despistar
verbCEFR B2
What does “despistar” mean in English?
to mislead, to confuse
to mislead, to confuse (despistar al lector — cause someone to have a wrong idea or impression, intentionally or not)
Example sentences
El titular del periódico despistaba al lector al sugerir una causalidad que los datos no confirmaban.
The newspaper headline misled the reader by suggesting a causation that the data did not confirm.
Cuidado con ese dato: puede despistar si no se lee en el contexto del informe completo.
Watch out for that figure: it can be misleading if not read in the context of the full report.
Me despisté en la tercera pregunta del examen y tardé varios minutos en volver a centrarme en el ejercicio.
I lost focus on the third exam question and it took me several minutes to concentrate again on the exercise.
How to use it
Despistar means 'to mislead', 'to distract', or 'to throw off the track'. Structure: despistar a alguien (mislead/confuse someone) or despistarse (lose one's bearings/get confused). At B2, the communication and analytical sense is important: un titular que despista (a misleading headline), un dato que puede despistar (a figure that can mislead). The reflexive despistarse means 'to lose focus' or 'to get confused'. It has a milder, more neutral connotation than engañar (actively deceive).
Common mistake
Despistar (mislead or distract — often unintentionally or through ambiguity) vs. engañar (deceive — deliberate, intentional). A poorly worded graph puede despistar (may mislead readers without intent); a fraudster engaña a sus víctimas (deliberately deceives victims). The degree of intent and malice distinguishes them.