arruinado
/arwiˈnado/
The English phrase 'messed up' can be translated into Spanish as arruinado.
The term is used to describe something that has been ruined or spoiled. However, note that arruinado is also the standard term used to describe a person who is financially bankrupt.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. Use arruinada for feminine singular nouns, arruinados for masculine plural nouns and arruinadas for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/arwiˈnado/
Did you know?
- To describe a situation that is 'messed up' or chaotic, people in many regions use the word desmadre, which has the curious literal meaning of a 'disorder of the mother'.
- The word estropeado is actually related to the word for a 'rag' or 'scrap', implying something has been worn down to a scrap of its former self.
- While arruinado describes a total ruin, Spanish speakers often use the verb fastidiar to describe something that is merely 'messed up' in an annoying or irritating way.
Examples in context
- El proyecto se ha vuelto un líoThe project has become messed up
- Después de la tormenta, el lugar quedó hecho un desastreAfter the storm, the place was all messed up
- Fue un desastre. Todo salió malIt was a mess. Everything went wrong
- Mi teléfono está estropeado. Necesito mandarlo a arreglarMy phone is messed up. I need to get it fixed
- ¡Tu habitación está hecha un desastre! Ordena esto ahoraYour room is all messed up! Clean this up now
- La fiesta se arruinó.The party was ruined.
- El plan está completamente arruinado.The plan is completely messed up.
- Mi dibujo quedó arruinado por la lluvia.My drawing got messed up by the rain.
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are looking at a ruined cake in the kitchen.
- AlejandroEl pastel está arruinado.The cake is messed up.
- MaríaLo siento, Alejandro, no se ve bien.I am sorry, Alejandro, it doesn't look good.
- AlejandroNo te preocupes, María.Don't worry, María.
- MaríaIntentaré arreglarlo ahora mismo.I will try to fix it right now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry arruinado, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
