Spanish Conversation · Level 4
87 words
Spanish word
vicio
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈbiθjo/
Meaning
- masculine nounbad habit
Example
Mi vicio es morderme las uñas.
My bad habit is biting my nails.
More examples
Tengo el vicio de tomar café por las tardes.
I have a bad habit of drinking coffee in the afternoons.
Core concept
A harmful habit repeated so often that it becomes hard to stop.
Common phrases
tener un vicio
have a bad habit
un vicio secreto
a secret bad habit
un mal vicio
a bad habit
Similar words
hábito: Regular action or practice carried out routinely in daily life.
adicción: Strong physical or psychological dependence on a substance or behavior, hard to quit.
costumbre: Socially shared practice or tradition commonly observed in a community or place.
manía: Obsessive, repetitive fixation on a specific activity or idea, often eccentric.
Definition in Spanish
Hábito malo o costumbre que hace daño o que resulta difícil de dejar.
Word origin
From Latin vitium 'defect' or 'fault', Spanish vicio now denotes a moral defect and, by extension, a persistent harmful habit or dependence.
Usage tips
- Used colloquially in expressions like 'tener un vicio' to describe either a light guilty pleasure or a more serious dependence, and it is less clinical than adicción.