Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| asco | /ˈasko/ | masculine |
| repugnancia | /repuɡˈnanθja/ /repuɡˈnansja/ |
feminine |
| desazón | /desaˈθon/ /desaˈson/ |
feminine |
| usgo | /usɡo/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| asquete | /askete/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
In Spanish, asco refers to an intense dislike or repugnance. To express the action of causing this feeling, you can use the verb asquear, the verb repugnar or the colloquial phrase dar asco. The adjective asqueroso is derived from asco and is used to describe something that is disgusting.
Which one should you use?
While asco is the most common word for physical or visceral disgust, repugnancia is a more formal and intense term often used for moral or deep-seated aversion. Note that desagrado can be employed to convey a lesser degree of disgust formally.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, the word asco may be replaced with repulsión in certain contexts.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the phrase dar asco to say something disgusts you, you must use a pronoun such as me, te, le, nos, os or les to indicate who is feeling the disgust (for example, me da asco means "it disgusts me").
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈasko/
Did you know?
- There is a possibility that asco is actually related to the Greek word for a 'hearth' or 'brazier', eskhára, via the Latin word for a 'scab'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a physical gesture of curling the upper lip or sticking out the tongue often accompanies the phrase ¡Qué asco!, mimicking the body's instinctive reaction to bad taste.
- The word asqueroso can be used as a strong insult to describe a person's character, moving beyond simple physical filth.
Examples in context
- Esas cosas me dan asco.Those things disgust me.This sentence shows how to use asco to say that things cause you disgust.Tatoeba #2259726 by hayastan, translation #2259725 by _undertoad
- Los teletubbies me dan asco.The Teletubbies disgust me.This sentence demonstrates the use of asco to express that certain characters disgust you.Tatoeba #5124588 by ecorralest101, translation #9943912 by Alairis
- Tom miró sostenidamente a Mary con odio y asco.Tom glared at Mary with hatred and disgust.This sentence illustrates using asco to describe a look filled with hatred and disgust.Tatoeba #5129221 by albrusgher, translation #3061067 by CK
- La actitud de Juan hacia la comida le provoca asco.Juan's attitude towards food disgusts him.
- El olor del queso me produce repugnancia.The smell of cheese disgusts me.
- El grupo de estudiantes expresó su desagrado ante la película violenta.The group of students expressed their disgust towards the violent movie.
- ¡Qué asco de comida! No puedo comer esto.This food is so disgusting! I can't eat this.
- Puaj, ¡qué mal olor hay en esta habitación!Yuck, there's such a bad smell in this room!
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are looking at an old, dirty kitchen.
- Sofía¡Mira este lugar! Me da asco.Look at this place! It disgusts me.
- JavierTienes razón, Javier siente lo mismo.You're right, Javier feels the same way.
- Sofía¿Podemos limpiar todo ahora?Can we clean everything now?
- JavierSí, pero el asco es insoportable.Yes, but the disgust is unbearable.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “disgust” translations and entries asco, repugnancia, desazón, 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 asco, desazón, repugnancia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
