Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| enojo | /eˈnoxo/ | masculine |
| enfado | /enˈfado/ | masculine |
| cólera | /ˈkoleɾa/ | feminine |
The term refers to a strong feeling of displeasure, hostility or antagonism towards someone or something. While you can use the nouns enojo, enfado or cólera to name the feeling, you should use the adjectives enojado or enojada when you want to describe a person as being 'angry'.
Which one should you use?
While enojo and enfado are common words for anger, cólera implies a much more intense, violent or even divine wrath, often translated as 'wrath' or 'intense rage'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The word enfado and its corresponding verb enfadarse are more frequently used in Spain than in many parts of Latin America.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using verbs like enojarse or enfadarse to mean 'to become angry', you must use a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) to show that the subject is the one experiencing the emotion.
How do you pronounce it?
/eˈnoxo/
Did you know?
- In colloquial Spanish, someone might say they are cabreado instead of enojado. This comes from 'goats' and implies a state of being 'horns-up'.
- The term cólera comes from the ancient medical belief in humourism. It was thought that an excess of yellow bile made a person 'choleric' or prone to rage.
- While enfado is standard in Spain, using it in certain Latin American countries might sound overly formal or like a character from a dubbed movie.
Examples in context
- Tom no pudo controlar su enfado.Tom couldn't control his anger.This sentence shows how to use enfado to describe a person's inability to control their anger.Tatoeba #1322018 by Shishir, translation #1026615 by CK
- Ella trató de ocultar su enfado.She tried to hide her anger.This sentence illustrates using enfado to describe the act of hiding one's anger.Tatoeba #2654561 by marcelostockle, translation #2654363 by Hybrid
- Tal era su enfado que perdió el control.His anger was such that he lost control of himself.This sentence demonstrates how enfado can describe a loss of control due to the intensity of the feeling.Tatoeba #2599421 by marcelostockle, translation #287238 by Zifre
- ¡Estoy harto/a de tus mentiras!I'm fed up with your lies!
- Me pone de los nervios que siempre llegues tarde.It drives me crazy that you're always late.
- ¡No aguanto más tu actitud irrespetuosa!I can't stand your disrespectful attitude anymore!
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are talking about a disagreement they had.
- SofíaSiento que todavía tienes mucho enojo conmigo.I feel that you still have a lot of anger toward me.
- MateoNo es enojo, solo estoy un poco decepcionado.It's not anger, I'm just a little disappointed.
- SofíaMe alegra saber que no estás furioso.I'm glad to know that you aren't furious.
- MateoSí, ya se me pasó el enojo.Yes, my anger has already passed.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “anger” translations and entries enojo, enfado, cólera, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cólera, enfado, enojo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
