Spanish word

terrible

Pronunciation

IPA/teˈriβle/

Meaning

  • adjectiveawful, terrible

Example

La comida estaba terrible.

The food was awful.

Illustration for terrible (awful)

More examples

Tuve un día terrible en el trabajo.

I had an awful day at work.

Core concept

A situation or thing that inspires strong disgust or alarm.

Common phrases

  • película terrible

    awful movie

  • día terrible

    awful day

  • experiencia terrible

    awful experience

Similar words

malo: Simply bad; lacking in quality or good performance.
desagradable: Causing discomfort or an unpleasant, uneasy feeling.
horrible: Terrifyingly bad, evoking intense disgust or fear at a glance.
pésimo: Remarkably poor in quality or outcome, clearly substandard.

Definition in Spanish

Palabra que señala que algo tiene una cualidad muy negativa o causa gran disgusto o alarma.

Word origin

The word comes from Latin terribilis (terrere 'to frighten' + -bilis), which originally meant 'frightening', and in Spanish its sense shifts toward 'very bad' or 'awful'.

Usage tips

  • Spanish terrible remains negative and does not mean the same as English terrific.

Other meanings

  • terrifyingadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • terriblementeterriblyadverb

Word lists with this word