perezoso
/peɾeˈθoso/
The Spanish word for sloth animal is perezoso.
perezoso is used to refer to the slow-moving mammal found in Central and South America. Beyond the animal, the word is also frequently used as an adjective to describe a person who is lazy.
What does it mean word for word?
The word perezoso literally means 'lazy'.
Which one should you use?
While perezoso refers to the animal, it is also the standard adjective for 'lazy' in a human context.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Central America, the term oso perezoso is commonly used, which translates to 'lazy bear'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun perezoso changes its ending to perezosa to indicate a female sloth. The plural form of the noun is perezosos.
How do you pronounce it?
/peɾeˈθoso/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, the word perezoso can be used affectionately toward a child or pet, transforming the insult of 'laziness' into a term of endearment for being cuddly or slow.
- The Spanish suffix -oso in perezoso is a direct descendant of the Latin suffix -ōsus, which was used to create adjectives meaning 'full of' or 'abounding in'.
- Because the word perezoso is so closely tied to the concept of laziness, Spanish speakers often use the animal as a visual metaphor in idioms to describe someone who is procrastinating.
Examples in context
- El perezoso es conocido por su lentitudThe sloth is known for its slowness
- El perezoso se mueve muy lento.The sloth moves very slowly.
- Vi un perezoso en el zoológico.I saw a sloth at the zoo.
- Ese perezoso duerme en el árbol.That sloth sleeps in the tree.
Example conversation
Two friends are watching a nature documentary on television.
- Mateo¿Te gusta ese perezoso?Do you like that sloth?
- LucíaSí, el perezoso es muy tierno.Yes, the sloth is very cute.
- MateoEs increíble lo lento que es.It is incredible how slow it is.
- LucíaEs la vida de un perezoso.That is the life of a sloth.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry perezoso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries perezoso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
