victima
nounCEFR B2High frequency
What does “victima” mean in English?
victim — a person harmed or killed by another or by an event
victim — a person harmed or killed by another or by an event (víctima de un fraude/accidente; las víctimas)
Example sentences
Las víctimas del fraude financiero tardaron años en recuperar parcialmente los ahorros de toda su vida.
The victims of the financial fraud took years to partially recover the savings of a lifetime.
El número de víctimas mortales del terremoto supera ya las dos mil personas, según las autoridades.
The death toll from the earthquake already exceeds two thousand people, according to the authorities.
Hacerse la víctima cuando se es el causante del conflicto es una táctica de manipulación habitual.
Playing the victim when you are the cause of the conflict is a common manipulation tactic.
How to use it
La víctima (noun, feminine) means 'victim, casualty' — a person harmed by another or by an event. Core B2 collocations: víctima de un fraude/accidente/atentado; las víctimas del conflicto; hacerse la víctima (to play the victim); víctima propiciatoria (scapegoat); número de víctimas. The adjective is victimizado/a. Distinguish from afectado (affected person — more neutral, less helpless connotation) and damnificado (disaster victim).
Common mistake
Víctima is always feminine (la víctima) even when referring to a man. Víctimas mortales = fatalities/death toll. Hacerse la víctima = to play the victim. 'Victim blaming' = culpabilización de la víctima. Damnificado/a is specifically for natural disaster victims.