borroso
/boˈroso/
The English word blurry is translated into Spanish as borroso.
borroso is used to describe a visual lack of clarity. You can use it to describe things like a blurry photo, a blurry memory or blurry vision.
Meaning: not clear, crisp, or focused (adj)
Which one should you use?
While borroso is the standard term, there are formal alternatives depending on the context. Use desenfocado/a when specifically referring to photographs or images that have poor focus. Use difuso/a as a formal way to describe concepts or ideas that are not well-defined or clear.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. Use the feminine form borrosa for feminine nouns, and the masculine plural form borrosos for masculine plural nouns. For feminine plural nouns, use borrosas.
How do you pronounce it?
/boˈroso/
Did you know?
- The word borrar used in borroso also means 'to delete' in modern computing, such as when you delete a file from a computer.
- While borroso describes a lack of focus, the Spanish suffix -oso is used to turn nouns into adjectives of abundance, similar to how 'mountainous' describes a place with many mountains.
- In a medical context, a Spanish speaker might say their vision is borrosa even when it is actually 'cloudy' or 'hazy', as borroso covers various types of visual impairment.
Examples in context
- Lo veo todo borroso. Creo que necesito gafas nuevas.Everything looks blurry. I think I need a new pair of glasses.This sentence is useful for describing blurry vision and the need for glasses using borroso.Tatoeba #13599389 by Seael, translation #2460125 by Hybrid
- La imagen está borrosa.The image is blurry.
- La letra en el documento está borrosa.The text in the document is blurry.
- La fotografía está desenfocada.The photograph is blurry.
- La imagen en la pantalla está desenfocada.The image on the screen is blurry.
- El significado de esa palabra es difuso.The meaning of that word is blurry.
- Las ideas presentadas en el informe son difusas.The ideas presented in the report are blurry.
- Esa foto salió muy borrosa.That photo came out very blurry.
- El fondo de la foto está muy borroso.The background of the photo is very blurry.
- No puedo leer, el texto se ve borroso.I can't read, the text looks blurry.
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are looking at a photo on a phone.
- SofíaMira esta foto de ayer.Look at this photo from yesterday.
- AlejandroSe ve muy borroso, Alejandro.It looks very blurry, Alejandro.
- SofíaEs que me moví al tomarla.It's because I moved when taking it.
- AlejandroIntenta tomar otra foto ahora.Try to take another photo now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “blurry” translations and entries borroso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
