lóbrego
/ˈlobɾeɡo/
The English word gloomy translates to Spanish as lóbrego. Wiktionary also lists tétrico.
Meaning: affected with, or expressing, gloom, melancholy (adj)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| lóbrego | /ˈlobɾeɡo/ |
| tétrico | /ˈtetɾiko/ |
lóbrego is typically used to describe physical environments that are dark, shadowy or dismal, as well as a person's mood.
Which one should you use?
tétrico carries a stronger connotation of being eerie, sinister or death-like compared to lóbrego.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective lóbrego must agree in gender with the noun it modifies, changing to lóbrega for feminine nouns. The adjective lóbrego must agree in number with the noun it modifies, changing to lóbregos for masculine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈlobɾeɡo/
Did you know?
- The word lóbrego may be a linguistic relative of the English word 'lubricious' via the Latin lūbricus, which meant 'slippery' or 'slimy'.
- Depending on the region, you might see variations of the word lóbrego such as the Portuguese lôbrego or the Asturian llóbregu, showing a shared history across the Iberian Peninsula.
Examples in context
- El día estaba tristeThe day was gloomy.
- Mi alma está desoladaMy soul is gloomy.
- La situación es deprimenteThe situation is gloomy.
- Andaba cabizbajo/aHe/she walked gloomily.
- Me siento desolado/a por la noticia que recibí.I feel gloomy about the news I received.
- ¡Qué deprimente es esta película!How gloomy this movie is!
- El niño caminaba cabizbajo debido a la noticia.The child walked gloomily because of the news.
- un bosque lóbregoA gloomy forest
- El cielo tiene un aspecto lóbrego hoy.The sky has a gloomy look today.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are walking through a dark forest.
- Alejandro¿No te parece que este bosque es muy lóbrego?Don't you think this forest is very gloomy?
- LucíaSí, Alejandro, me da un poco de miedo.Yes, Alejandro, it scares me a little.
- AlejandroEs verdad, el ambiente es muy sombrío.It's true, the atmosphere is very dark.
- LucíaMejor caminemos más rápido para salir de aquí.Better we walk faster to get out of here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gloomy” translations and entries lóbrego, tétrico, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lóbrego, tétrico, CC BY-SA 4.0.
