terrible
/teˈrible/
The English phrase "terrible" is translated into Spanish as terrible.
terrible is used as an adjective to describe something that is very bad.
Meaning: very bad (adj)
Which one should you use?
While terrible is common, you can use Pésimo/a to mean terrible in a more formal context. Additionally, Desastroso/a literally means "disastrous," but it can be used to convey a similar sense of something being terrible.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective terrible is invariant in gender, meaning it does not change based on whether the noun is masculine or feminine. However, it must agree in number with the noun it modifies. You must use terribles when modifying plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/teˈrible/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, terrible can be used as an intensifier to mean 'tremendous' or 'huge' rather than 'bad'. For example, una terrible cantidad often describes an impressively large amount.
- The phrase me cae terrible does not describe a person as being a bad human being, but rather that the speaker finds their personality irritating or unbearable.
- Spanish has the word estupendo for 'great', but historically, words like terrible and estupendo both stemmed from the idea of being 'stunned' or 'overwhelmed'.
Examples in context
- El pago es terrible.The pay is terrible.This sentence shows how to describe pay as being terrible using terrible.Tatoeba #5952290 by albrusgher, translation #3494302 by Hybrid
- Tuve un día terrible.I had a terrible day.This sentence shows how to describe a day as being terrible using terrible.Tatoeba #9412946 by TDjouaher, translation #10593059 by DJ_Saidez
- La comida es terrible.The food is terrible.This sentence shows how to describe food as being terrible using terrible.Tatoeba #1638693 by marcelostockle, translation #1636251 by Spamster
- La comida en ese restaurante es pésimaThe food at that restaurant is terrible
- La situación actual es horribleThe current situation is terrible
- La fiesta fue desastrosaThe party was terrible
- El servicio en ese lugar es asquerosoThe service at that place is terrible
- La película que vimos ayer fue pésimaThe movie we watched yesterday was terrible
- ¡Qué malo está el clima hoy!The weather is terrible today!
- El resultado del examen fue pésimo. Necesito estudiar másThe exam result was terrible. I need to study more
- La situación económica del país es horribleThe country's economic situation is terrible
- ¡El concierto estuvo asqueroso! El sonido era pésimoThe concert was terrible! The sound was awful
- Hoy tuve un día malísimo en el trabajoI had a terrible day at work today
- 115 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are discussing a movie they just watched.
- DanielLa película fue terrible.The movie was terrible.
- MaríaSí, el guion es terrible.Yes, the script is terrible.
- DanielPerdimos mucho tiempo.We wasted a lot of time.
- MaríaFue un error terrible.It was a terrible mistake.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry terrible, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
