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stangata

heavy blow; harsh penalty

noun stahn-GAH-tah Rare

Usage Note

Stangata literally means a blow with a stanga (pole/bar), but it is almost always used figuratively — a steep fine, a brutal tax hike, or any harsh economic hit (la stangata fiscale — 'the tax sting'). It is a very common word in Italian journalism. A related colloquial verb is stangare (to hit hard, to fleece). The plural is regular: le stangate.

Examples

"La nuova tassa è una vera stangata."

Natural Translation

The new tax is a real blow.

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