vicioso
/biˈθjoso/
The Spanish word for vicious is vicioso.
In Spanish, vicioso primarily refers to being addicted to a vice or being part of a 'vicious circle' (círculo vicioso).
Meaning: savage, aggressive (adj)
Which one should you use?
If you want to describe a person or animal as being physically savage, aggressive or vicious, use feroz instead of vicioso.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin America, despiadado/a can be used to express 'vicious' meaning 'merciless' and perverso/a can be used to express 'vicious' meaning 'perverse'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective vicioso must agree in gender with the noun it modifies, changing to viciosa for feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/biˈθjoso/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use vicioso to mean 'savage' or 'aggressive' in a physical sense, whereas in Spanish vicioso primarily refers to being addicted to a vice or being part of a 'vicious circle' (círculo vicioso).
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, calling someone vicioso isn't an insult about their character, but a way to say they are 'obsessed' with a harmless hobby or a video game.
- The Spanish vicioso and the English 'vicious' both trace their lineage back to the Latin word vitium, meaning 'fault' or 'defect'.
- While vicioso is a false friend for 'vicious', a Spanish speaker describing a savage animal will use feroz, which is a cognate of the English 'ferocious'.
Examples in context
- Entramos a un círculo vicioso.We are entering a vicious circle.This sentence uses vicioso to describe a circle.Tatoeba #1732383 by marcelostockle, translation #2119636 by frecklejuice7
- Es una especie de círculo vicioso.It's some kind of vicious circle.Tatoeba #10079046 by manufrutos, translation #10016440 by AlanF_US
- Se debe romper este círculo vicioso.This vicious circle must be broken.Tatoeba #10079050 by manufrutos, translation #10016434 by AlanF_US
- La fiera mostró un comportamiento feroz hacia sus adversarios.The beast displayed a vicious behavior towards its adversaries.
- El villano de la película era malvado hasta la médula.The movie's villain was vicious to the core.
- El perro rabioso mostraba una actitud feroz hacia cualquier extraño.The vicious dog displayed a fierce attitude towards any strangers.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Javier are walking past a neighbor's yard.
- María¿Viste al perro de la vecina?Did you see the neighbor's dog?
- JavierSí, es un animal muy vicioso.Yes, it is a very vicious animal.
- MaríaTen cuidado, Javier, no te acerques.Be careful, Javier, don't go near it.
- JavierTienes razón, mejor sigo de largo.You're right, I'd better keep walking.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry vicioso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries vicioso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
