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

pésimo

PEH-see-moh

adjectivemB1

awful?extremely bad quality or experience,terrible?describing something of very low standard

Also:dreadful?emphasizing how unpleasant something is,the worst?when something is at the lowest possible level

📝 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

💡 Grammar Points

Matching the Noun

This word changes its ending to match what you are talking about: use 'pésimo' for masculine things (un actor pésimo) and 'pésima' for feminine things (una película pésima).

Already at the Maximum

This word already means 'extremely bad.' Because it's already so strong, you don't usually put 'muy' (very) in front of it.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Avoid 'Muy Pésimo'

Mistake: "La película fue muy pésima."

Correction: La película fue pésima. (Since the word already means 'extremely bad,' adding 'very' is like saying 'very worst.')

⭐ Usage Tips

Stronger than Malo

Use 'pésimo' when 'malo' (bad) isn't strong enough to express how disappointed you are.

✏️ 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

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).