No. 2,768 in Spanish
matar
"To kill."
In a sentence
Ella va a matar a las moscas con un periódico.
She is going to kill the flies with a newspaper.
In this sentence, 'matar' is used in its literal sense to refer to ending the life of another living thing, specifically insects.
Esto me está matando de aburrimiento.
This is killing me from boredom.
Here, 'matar' is used metaphorically, meaning 'causing extreme discomfort or annoyance', not literal killing.
Mató el tiempo leyendo un libro.
He killed time reading a book.
'Matar' in this context is idiomatic, signifying to use time in a leisurely manner.
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