inguaiare

to get into trouble

verb een-gwah-YAH-reh Rare

Also means

to land in a mess

Usage Note

Inguaiare is an informal verb meaning to put someone in a difficult or compromising situation, often through another's actions. Mi hai inguaiato = 'You've got me into trouble'. The reflexive inguaiarsi means to get oneself into a fix. It belongs squarely to colloquial speech; in formal writing, compromettere or mettere nei guai are preferred.

Examples

"Quella bugia lo ha inguaiato con il capo."

Natural Translation

That lie got him into trouble with the boss.

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