Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| perezoso | /peɾeˈθoso/ /peɾeˈsoso/ |
masculine |
| pereza | /peˈɾeθa/ /peˈɾesa/ |
Venezuela, feminine |
| cúcula | /kukula/ (from spelling rules) | Costa Rica, feminine |
| caimansote | /kaimansote/ (from spelling rules) | Ecuador |
| calípedes | /kalipedes/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| cúcala | /kukala/ (from spelling rules) | Central America, feminine |
In Spanish, the term used depends on whether you are referring to the animal itself or the concept of laziness. Use perezoso to talk about the mammal. Use pereza to refer to the state of being lazy or the sin of sloth.
What does it mean word for word?
The word perezoso is derived from the noun pereza (laziness) and literally means 'one who is lazy'.
Which one should you use?
perezoso refers to the animal, whereas pereza refers to the concept of laziness or the deadly sin of sloth.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Several regional terms exist for the animal: in Costa Rica, cúcula is used. In parts of Central America, cúcala is used. In Venezuela, pereza is used. And in Ecuador, caimansote is used. Additionally, calípedes is another masculine form for the animal.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form perezoso can be changed to the feminine form perezosa to refer to a female sloth.
How do you pronounce it?
/peɾeˈθoso/
Did you know?
- In Ecuador, the regional term caimansote for a sloth literally translates to 'big caiman' or 'big alligator'.
- The word pereza is a direct descendant of the Latin word pigritia, which originally referred to a lack of vigor or skill.
- The suffix '-oso' in perezoso acts as an adjective-forming tool, similar to how '-ous' works in the English word 'poisonous'.
Examples in context
- Los siete pecados capitales son: soberbia, envidia, codicia, ira, lujuria, gula y pereza.The seven deadly sins are: pride, envy, greed, anger, lust, gluttony and sloth.This sentence lists the seven deadly sins, including pereza.Tatoeba #5626283 by albrusgher, translation #4052466 by mervert1
- ¡Y seré una gallina que huele a perezoso!And I'll be a chicken that smells like a sloth!This sentence uses perezoso to describe someone's smell.Tatoeba #10596719 by DJ_Saidez, translation #5272460 by DJ_Saidez
- La pereza es uno de los siete pecados capitales.Sloth or laziness is one of the seven deadly sins.This sentence explains that pereza is one of the seven deadly sins.Tatoeba #4104511 by mervert1, translation #4052446 by mervert1
- La pereza es una de las principales características de los perezosos.Sloth is one of the main characteristics of sloths.
- No seas vago y termina tus tareas.Don't be lazy and finish your tasks.
- Mi hermano es un holgazán, pasa todo el día en el sofá sin hacer nada.My brother is a loafer, he spends all day on the sofa doing nothing.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are visiting a zoo.
- JavierMira, ¡allí hay un perezoso!Look, there is a sloth over there!
- LucíaSe mueve muy lentamente.It moves very slowly.
- JavierEs el animal más tranquilo del zoo.It is the calmest animal in the zoo.
- LucíaEl perezoso parece muy feliz durmiendo.The sloth looks very happy sleeping.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sloth” translations and entries perezoso, pereza, cúcula, calípedes, cúcala, 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 pereza, perezoso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
