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filo

FEE-loh/ˈfi.lo/

“filo” means “edge” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

edge

Also: sharpness
NounmA2
General
A close-up illustration of the sharp, shining edge of a silver knife blade.

📝 In Action

Ten cuidado, el cuchillo tiene mucho filo.

A1

Be careful, the knife has a very sharp edge.

Le saqué filo a las tijeras porque no cortaban bien.

B1

I sharpened the scissors because they weren't cutting well.

La espada perdió su filo después de la batalla.

B2

The sword lost its edge after the battle.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • corte (cut/edge)
  • arista (ridge/brim)

Antonyms

  • romo (blunt/dull)

Common Collocations

  • sacar filo – to sharpen
  • doble filo – double-edged
  • al filo de – on the edge of / at the brink of

Idioms & Expressions

  • arma de doble filo – something that can have both favorable and unfavorable consequences

hunger

NounmB2informal
Mexico & Central America
A small, hungry dog looking up at an empty bowl with a hopeful expression.

📝 In Action

¡Qué filo tengo! Vamos a comer ya.

B1

I'm so hungry! Let's eat now.

Después de caminar tanto, me dio un filo bárbaro.

B2

After walking so much, I got incredibly hungry.

Traigo un filo que me comería una vaca.

C1

I'm so hungry I could eat a cow.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • saciedad (fullness)

Common Collocations

  • tener filo – to be hungry

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "filo" in Spanish:

edge→hunger→sharpness→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: filo

Question 1 of 3

If you are in Mexico and you say 'Tengo mucho filo', what do you mean?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
afilar(to sharpen) — Verb
afilado(sharp) — Adjective
afilador(sharpener) — Noun
desafilar(to make dull) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin 'filum', which means 'thread'. Over time, it came to describe the thin, thread-like line of a sharp blade.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: fioFrench: fil

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'filo' the same as 'hilo'?

No. While they sound similar and share a Latin root, 'filo' means the edge of a blade, while 'hilo' means thread for sewing.

What does 'al filo de la noticia' mean?

It is a common journalistic phrase meaning 'on the cutting edge of the news' or 'at the very moment the news happens'.

Can 'filo' be a verb?

No, 'filo' is a noun. The related verb for sharpening is 'afilar'.