domar
verbCEFR B2
What does “domar” mean in English?
to tame, to bring under control
to tame, to bring under control (domar — figurative: tame inflation, a crisis, or unruly forces)
Example sentences
Domar la inflación sigue siendo el principal desafío de los bancos centrales en el entorno actual.
Taming inflation remains the main challenge for central banks in the current environment.
El programa de reformas pretendía domar un déficit que se había convertido en un problema estructural.
The reform programme aimed to tame a deficit that had become a structural problem.
Logró domar su ansiedad mediante técnicas de respiración que aplicaba antes de cada presentación.
She managed to tame her anxiety through breathing techniques she applied before each presentation.
How to use it
Domar means 'to tame' or 'to bring under control'. Literal: domar un caballo (tame a horse), domar un animal salvaje. Figurative at B2: domar la inflación (tame inflation), domar el déficit, domar una crisis. The figurative sense implies subjugating something wild or unruly. It carries a slightly dramatic register, common in political and economic commentary. Contrast controlar (neutral: control/manage) and someter (to subdue — more aggressive).
Common mistake
Domar is more vivid and figurative than controlar — use domar when you want to convey the idea of something wild being subdued rather than simply managed. In literal contexts, domesticar means to domesticate (make an animal domestic/tame over generations), while domar is about training and breaking in (making a specific animal tractable).