apapachar
ah-pah-pah-CHARverbInformal
A Mexican Spanish slang term. Browse all Mexican slang.
What it means
To cuddle, pamper, comfort. Carries a warmth that abrazar ('to hug') does not — it implies looking after someone, not just holding them.
Examples with translations
Hoy necesito que me apapachen.
I need some looking after today.
Se pasó el domingo apapachando al perro.
She spent Sunday fussing over the dog.
Where it comes from
From Nahuatl papatzoa, 'to soften something by pressing'. A widely circulated gloss renders it 'to embrace with the soul', which is poetic rather than linguistic — the real etymology is about kneading, and is arguably nicer for it.
Other forms
- Spellings and variants:
- apapacho
- Similar terms:
- consentir, mimar