30 Cringeworthy Ways to Say ‘Ugly’ in Spanish
How do you say “ugly” in Spanish? Surprisingly, there are at least 29 more ways to say feo.
If you’ve ever wondered how Spanish-speaking people refer to ugly things, situations, and individuals or how to spell the word “ugly” in Spanish, you’ve come to the right place.
I will introduce you to 30 cringeworthy ways to say ugly in Spanish with explanations and example sentences.
As a bonus, I’m also adding a few Spanish idiomatic expressions for you to master the idea of ugliness in Spanish.
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30 Ways to Say Ugly in Spanish
There are many ways to say ugly in Spanish.
However, just like in English, we use it to refer to different things. So, to simplify this post and facilitate its learning and comprehension, I’ve categorized the following list into 3 different sections:
- Ugly words used to describe someone.
- Ugly words used to describe something.
- Ugly words used to describe a situation.
‘Ugly Words’ Used to Describe Someone
There are many ways to translate ugly in Spanish, but these are the more commonly used to describe a person.
1. Feo/fea – this is the most common Spanish translation of the word ugly.
Mi hermano es muy feo.
My brother is really ugly.
2. Horrible – same meaning as in English.
Miguel es horrible.
Miguel is horrible.
3. Horrendo/horrenda – a variation of horrible.
La novia de Carlos es horrenda.
Carlos’ girlfriend is horrible.
4. Horroroso/horrorosa – translates as “horrifying.”
María tiene una cara horrorosa.
Maria’s face is horrifying.
5. Horripilante – another variation of horrible.
Tu amigo se ve horripilante.
Your friend looks horrible.
6. Espantoso/espantosa – this word translates as “frightening.”
El amigo de Fernanda está espantoso.
Fernanda’s friend is frightening.
7. Deforme – deformed, misshapen
Cuasimodo es deforme.
Quasimodo is deformed.
8. Monstruoso/monstruosa – similar to a monster, “monstrous.”
Erika es monstruosa.
Erika is monstrous.
9. Adefesio – can translate as “freak” or “eyesore.”
¡Eres un adefesio!
You’re an eyesore!
10. Repulsivo/repulsiva – translates as “repulsive.”
Su cara es repulsiva.
His face is repulsive.
11. Grotesco/grotesca – means “grotesque.”
Tu vecina es grotesca.
Your neighbor is grotesque.
12. Malencarado/malencarada – mal means “bad,” and cara means “face.” So, malencarado literally means “with a bad face.” In English, you would say “bad-looking.”
Felipe es muy malencarado.
Felipe is very bad-looking.
13. Abominable – same as in English.
Tu tío es abominable.
Your uncle is abominable.
14. Feucho/feucha – a derogatory variation of feo.
Tu perro es un poco feucho, ¿no crees?
Your dog is a bit ugly, don’t you think?
15. Disforme – its etymological meaning is “without form.” In English, you would say “warped” or “deformed”.
Ese señor está disforme.
That guy is warped.
16. Desproporcionado/desproporcionada – without proportion, “disproportionate.”
Su cara es desproporcionada.
Her face is disproportionate.
17. Contrahecho/contrahecha – another word for “misshapen.”
Mi amiga está contrahecha.
My friend is misshapen.
‘Ugly Words’ Used to Describe Something
Not only can people be ugly, but many things can be truly horrible.
18. Apestoso/apestosa – literally translates as “stinky,” also used to say “ugly.”
El baño de la escuela está apestoso.
The school toilets are stinky.
19. Pestilente – same thing as apestoso.
Este perro es un pestilente.
This dog is stinky.
20. Hediondo/hedionda – same thing as apestoso and pestilente.
Mi ropa está hedionda.
My clothes are stinky.
21. Repugnante – translates as “disgusting.”
Esta película es repugnante.
This film is disgusting.
22. Asqueroso/asquerosa – same thing as repugnante.
El jardín está asqueroso.
The garden is disgusting.
23. Sucio/sucia – translates as “dirty.”
Tu camisa está sucia.
Your shirt is dirty.
24. Antiestético/antiestética – something that is not aesthetic. Sometimes translated as “unsightly.”
Ese baile es antiestético.
That dance is unsightly.
25. Repelente – literally means “repulsive” or “obnoxious”.
Tu peinado es repelente.
Your hairstyle is repulsive..
Words Used to Describe An Ugly Situation
Lastly, here are a few words to describe an ugly situation.
26. Pavoroso/pavorosa – literally means “dreadful.”
Un secuestro es algo pavoroso.
Kidnapping is something dreadful.
27. Indecoroso/indecorosa – something that lacks decency. Sometimes translated as “unseemly” or “indecent.”
Me hizo una propuesta indecorosa.
He made me an indecent proposal.
28. Vergonzoso/vergonzosa – can be translated as “shameful,” “disgraceful,” or “embarrassing.”
Cuando me caí fue muy vergonzoso.
It was quite embarrassing when I fell.
29. Desagradable – literally means “unpleasant.”
Fue muy desagradable cuando me encontré con mi ex-novia en el teatro.
It was very unpleasant when I met my ex-girlfriend in the theater.
30. Terrible – same meaning as in English.
Esta guerra es terrible.
This war is terrible.
Spanish Idiomatic Expressions Including These ‘Ugly Words’
Let’s learn some Spanish idiomatic expressions that include this diversity of ugly words.
Se puso fea la cosa
Meaning: This situation just got complicated.
Literal translation: The thing got ugly.
El abominable hombre de las nieves
Meaning: Expression used to refer to the Yeti mythical creature.
Literal translation: The abominable snowman.
¡Eres más feo que Picio!
Meaning: You’re really ugly. Picio was a legendary ugly person that lived in Granada, Spain.
Literal translation: You’re uglier than Picio!
El hombre como el oso, cuanto más feo más hermoso.
Meaning: When talking about men, beauty isn’t important.
Literal translation: Men are like bears. When uglier, they’re more beautiful.
Las 3 efes del hombre: feo, fuerte y formal.
Meaning: Men’s attractiveness resides in their manhood and formality.
Literal translation: Men’s 3 Fs: ugly, strong, and formal.
Learn and Practice These ‘Ugly Words’
Introduce these 30 different ways to say ugly in Spanish into your vocabulary, practice the idiomatic expressions to ensure that you get them right, and eventually, start introducing both words and expressions into your everyday conversations in Spanish.
Remember that the only way to improve your vocabulary and conversational skills is by speaking Spanish and using all the new terms you have learned. This way, you may make mistakes at first, but soon you’ll master how to say ugly in Spanish.
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