peor
/peˈoɾ/
The English phrase 'worst' is translated into Spanish as peor.
The word peor is used to describe something that is the most inferior. In formal contexts, you can also use pésimo to describe something of extremely poor quality.
Meaning: most inferior (adj)
Which one should you use?
In Spanish, peor functions as both the comparative ('worse') and the superlative ('worst').
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word peor is invariant in gender, so it is used for both masculine and feminine singular nouns. When describing plural nouns, use the form peores for both masculine and feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
/peˈoɾ/
Did you know?
- The English word 'pejorative', used to describe a word with a negative connotation, is a direct linguistic relative of peor.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, saying 'lo peor' (the worst part) is a common way to introduce a dramatic or comedic punchline in storytelling.
- In Spanish, you can say lo peor to refer to 'the worst part' of a situation, even if no specific noun is mentioned.
Examples in context
- Ya pasó lo peor.The worst is over.Tatoeba #482894 by Raimondi, translation #243711 by CK
- Me temía lo peor.I feared the worst.Tatoeba #2206191 by Shishir, translation #1790820 by Spamster
- Me esperaba lo peor.I was expecting the worst.Tatoeba #4761322 by AucaCoyan, translation #3010216 by patgfisher
- Esta comida es la peor que he probadoThis food is the worst I've ever tasted
- ¡Esa película es lo peor!That movie is the worst!
- Este es absolutamente el peor día de mi vidaThis is absolutely the worst day of my life
- 139 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are discussing a movie they just watched.
- ElenaEsa fue la peor película de la historia.That was the worst movie in history.
- AlejandroSí, es el peor guion que he leído.Yes, it is the worst script I have read.
- ElenaEl actor principal también fue el peor.The lead actor was also the worst.
- AlejandroTotalmente de acuerdo contigo.I totally agree with you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “worst” translations and entries peor, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries peor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
