feo
/ˈfeo/
The English word 'ugly' is translated into Spanish as feo.
feo is used to describe something that is displeasing to the eye or not aesthetically pleasing. Beyond physical appearance, it can also be used to describe an unpleasant situation or an 'ugly' truth. For a higher degree of ugliness or unpleasantness, the synonym horrible is commonly used.
Meaning: displeasing to the eye, not aesthetically pleasing (adj)
Is it said differently in some regions?
On the Caribbean coast of Colombia, the term chimbo/a is commonly used instead of feo/a to convey the idea of something being of poor quality or disappointing.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. Use fea for feminine nouns, feos for masculine plural nouns and feas for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈfeo/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, calling a baby feo is often used as a playful or superstitious way to avoid 'jinxing' the child by praising their beauty too much.
- The Spanish word feo shares a common ancestor with the English word 'fetid', which describes something smelling extremely bad.
- While feo describes appearance, the phrase ponerse feo can be used to describe a situation that is turning violent or aggressive.
Examples in context
- Su pelo es feo.Your hair is ugly.This sentence is useful for describing hair using feo.Tatoeba #6795702 by arh, translation #8174342 by magnificentgoddess
- No creo que seas feo.I don't think that you're ugly.This sentence is useful for stating an opinion about someone being feo.Tatoeba #7927041 by arh, translation #7227578 by CK
- ¡Qué vestido tan feo!What an ugly dress!This sentence is useful for expressing an opinion about a dress using feo.Tatoeba #12531901 by Shishir, translation #3426211 by CK
- El traje que llevaba puesto era bastante feo.The suit he was wearing was quite ugly.
- La elección de colores en la decoración resultó desagradable para muchos.The color scheme in the decoration turned out to be unpleasant for many.
- ¿Viste sus zapatos? Son patéticos, parece que los encontró en el basurero.Did you see his shoes? They are ridiculous, it looks like he found them in the garbage.
- 63 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are looking at some old furniture in a shop.
- Daniel¿Te gusta ese sofá antiguo?Do you like that old sofa?
- LucíaNo, me parece muy feo.No, I think it is very ugly.
- DanielEs verdad, es bastante feo.It's true, it is quite ugly.
- LucíaBusquemos algo más bonito.Let's look for something prettier.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ugly” translations and entries feo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries feo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
