pésimo

PEH-see-moh/ˈpesimo/

“pésimo” means “awful” in Spanish (extremely bad quality or experience).

awful, terrible

Also: dreadful, the worst

AdjectivemB1

A burnt, black pizza on a plain white plate with small wisps of smoke rising.

📝 In Action

La comida en ese hotel era pésima.

The food at that hotel was awful.

Tuve un día pésimo en el trabajo.

I had a terrible day at work.

El servicio al cliente es pésimo.

The customer service is dreadful.

Word Connections

Synonyms

fatal (terrible/awful)
horrible (horrible)
malísimo (very bad)

Antonyms

excelente (excellent)
óptimo (the best/ideal)
buenísimo (very good)

Common Collocations

tener un día pésimo – to have a terrible day
de pésima calidad – of awful quality
un error pésimo – a terrible mistake

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "pésimo" in Spanish:

the worst→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: pésimo

Question 1 of 2

If you just ate the worst meal of your life, how would you describe it?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼

mal(badly) — Adverb

malo(bad) — Adjective

malísimo(very bad) — Adjective

🎵 Rhymes▼

décimovigésimo

📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'pessimus,' which was the absolute worst form of 'malus' (bad).

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: pessimismPortuguese: péssimoItalian: pessimo

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'pésimo' stronger than 'malísimo'?

Yes, 'pésimo' usually carries a stronger emotional weight and implies a complete lack of quality, whereas 'malísimo' is just a very intensified version of 'bad'.

Does 'pésimo' change for plural things?

Yes! If you are talking about multiple things, use 'pésimos' (masculine) or 'pésimas' (feminine). For example: 'Esos resultados son pésimos' (Those results are awful).