Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ciberacoso | /θibeɾaˈkoso/ /sibeɾaˈkoso/ |
masculine |
| cyberbullying | /θibeɾˈbulin/ /sibeɾˈbulin/ |
masculine |
| ciberbullying | /θibeɾbuʝʝinɡ/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /sibeɾbuʝʝinɡ/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
The term refers to the act of bullying or harassing someone online. You may also encounter more formal terms such as acoso digital, which translates to 'digital harassment' or acoso en línea, which translates to 'online harassment'.
What does it mean word for word?
ciberacoso is a compound of the prefix ciber- (cyber) and acoso (harassment or stalking).
Which one should you use?
While ciberacoso is the standard Spanish term, the English loanwords cyberbullying and ciberbullying are also frequently used in digital contexts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, ciberacoso is more prevalent. In Mexico, you will commonly hear ciberbullying or acoso en línea.
How does it change in a sentence?
This is a masculine noun and is typically used with the definite article el (e.g., el ciberacoso). The verb derived from the root is acosar, which means to harass or persecute.
How do you pronounce it?
/θibeɾaˈkoso/
Did you know?
- The word acoso comes from a verb originally used to describe hounding or hunting an animal until it is exhausted.
- The prefix ciber- in ciberacoso shares an ancient root with the English word 'cybernetics', both tracing back to the Greek 'kubernáō', meaning 'to steer' or 'to govern'.
- In Spanish, the verb acosar can imply 'to plague' or 'to persecute', giving ciberacoso a more aggressive tone than 'cyberbullying'.
Examples in context
- A veces me pregunto cuándo tendrá lugar el primer campeonato mundial de ciberacoso.Sometimes I wonder when the first world championship in cyberbullying will take place.This sentence uses ciberacoso to discuss a hypothetical world championship.Tatoeba #790428 by MUIRIEL, translation #790400 by MUIRIEL
- El ciberacoso es un problema grave en la sociedad actualCyberbullying is a serious issue in today's society
- Las víctimas de acoso digital necesitan apoyoThe victims of cyberbullying need support
- Es importante proteger a los jóvenes del acoso en líneaIt's important to protect young people from online harassment
- Ese comentario es un claro caso de bullying virtualThat comment is a clear case of cyberbullying
- No toleraremos la intimidación en internetWe won't tolerate cyberbullying
- El acoso cibernético puede tener consecuencias devastadorasCyberbullying can have devastating consequences
- El ciberacoso es un problema que afecta a personas de todas las edades.Cyberbullying is a problem that affects people of all ages.
- El ciberacoso es un problema serio en las escuelas.Cyberbullying is a serious problem in schools.
- Debemos prevenir el ciberacoso en las redes sociales.We must prevent cyberbullying on social media.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a news report about internet safety.
- JavierMaría, ¿viste la noticia sobre el ciberacoso?María, did you see the news about cyberbullying?
- MaríaSí, Javier, es algo muy preocupante.Yes, Javier, it is something very worrying.
- JavierLos jóvenes necesitan más protección en internet.Young people need more protection on the internet.
- MaríaTienes razón, hay que estar muy atentos.You are right, we have to be very attentive.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cyberbullying” translations and entries ciberacoso, cyberbullying, ciberbullying, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ciberacoso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
