Italian word of the day: ‘Colmo’
This word really is the limit.
In its simplest form, il colmo (hear it pronounced here ), refers to the summit or ridge of a mountain.
Arrivarono il colmo della collina giusto in tempo per il pranzo. They reached the top of the hill just in time for lunch.
A colmo , though, isn’t just a physical limit: it can also be used as an adjective to describe being filled with something.
Il suo carrello era colmo di frutta e verdura. Her shopping trolley was filled with fruits and vegetables.
Era colma di entusiasmo quando ha saputo che saresti venuto. She was brimming with excitement when she heard you were coming.
For extra emphasis you can add the prefix ‘stra’, which acts as an intensifier to let people know the thing you're talking about's really filled to bursting.
L’autobus era stracolmo di gente. The bus was overflowing with people.
(Note that you wouldn’t generally use colmo/a to describe yourself as being full of food, for that sono pieno/a (literally, I’m full) or sto scoppiando (I’m bursting) would be more natural).
Because colmo refers to something being at its limit, ‘essere al colmo di (qualcosa) ’ is to experience the heights (or depths) of an emotion.
Era al colmo della gioia quando ha ricevuto l'offerta di lavoro. She was on cloud nine when she got the job offer.
Il bambino non ha dormito tutta la notte, sono al colmo della disperazione. The baby didn’t sleep all night, I’m at my wit’s end.
And you can also use colmo to talk about a certain type of behaviour being ‘the height of’ something.
Dire ai dipendenti che l’azienda doveva ridurre le spese mentre si aumentava lo stipendio è stato il colmo dell’ipocrisia. Telling staff the company needed to cut back while raising his own salary was the height of hypocrisy.
Era il colmo dell’arroganza pensare che sarebbe riuscita a farla franca. It was the height of arrogance to think she’d get away with it.
Per colmo della sfortuna, meanwhile, means ‘to cap it all’ or ‘to make matters worse’.
Ha perso il treno, e per colmo della sfortuna, i tassisti erano in sciopero. She missed her train, and to make matters worse, the taxi drivers were on strike.
Finally, and this is perhaps the most useful application of colmo in everyday life, è il colmo means something takes the cake or is the absolute limit.
Ho passato tre ore in fila e ora sono andati a pranzo! Questo è il colmo! I’ve spent three hours in line and now they’ve gone to lunch! This is the last straw!
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