feccia
/ˈfet.t͡ʃa/
The English word scum is translated into Italian as feccia.
feccia is a highly derogatory term used to describe a group of people or a segment of society that is considered morally worthless.
Meaning: person or persons considered to be reprehensible (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, feccia refers to the dregs or scum found at the bottom of a liquid or the froth on top of it.
How does it change in a sentence?
feccia is a feminine noun. It is almost always used in the singular form, even when referring to a group of people.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈfet.tʃa/. The word has 2 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The word feccia descends from the Latin 'faex', which is the direct ancestor of the English word 'feces'.
- In the world of traditional winemaking, feccia is the technical term for the sediment that settles at the bottom of a barrel.
- In historical Italian literature, the word feccia was used to target the 'popolaccio' or urban poor, making it a classist slur rather than just a moral one.
Examples in context
- Non posso tollerare il comportamento di quella persona. È una persona spregevole.I cannot tolerate that person's behavior. They are a despicable person.
- È tutta feccia.They are all scum.
- Quella gente è solo feccia.Those people are nothing but scum.
- Si sono comportati come della vera feccia.They behaved like real scum.
Example conversation
Martina and Lorenzo are discussing a corrupt politician on the news.
- MartinaHai visto cosa ha fatto questo uomo?Did you see what this man did?
- LorenzoSì, è disgustoso.Yes, it is disgusting.
- MartinaPersone così sono solo feccia.People like that are just scum.
- LorenzoHai ragione, Martina, non meritano rispetto.You are right, Martina, they don't deserve respect.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry feccia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries feccia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
