scacciare

to drive away

verb skah-CHAH-reh Rare

Origin: From ex- + cacciare ('to hunt, chase').

Also means

to chase out

Usage Note

Scacciare means to force someone or something away — pests, doubts, enemies, or unwanted people. Scacciare i topi ('to drive away mice'), scacciare i pensieri brutti ('to chase away bad thoughts'). It is a regular first-conjugation verb. Note the spelling: sc before a is pronounced 'sk', not 'sh'. Related: cacciare ('to hunt' or 'to throw out'), of which this is an intensified form.

Examples

"I contadini cercavano di scacciare i passeri dal campo."

Natural Translation

The farmers tried to drive the sparrows away from the field.

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