How to Say "scoundrel" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “scoundrel” is “sinvergüenza” — use this for someone who acts dishonestly or lacks shame, often in a way that affects others directly, like in a transaction.
sinvergüenza
seen-behr-GWEN-sahsimbeɾˈɣwensa
Examples
Ese sinvergüenza me vendió un coche que no funciona.
That scoundrel sold me a car that doesn't work.
¡Qué sinvergüenza eres! Te comiste todo el pastel.
What a rascal you are! You ate the whole cake.
One word for everyone
This word doesn't change its ending. You just change the small word in front: 'el sinvergüenza' for a man and 'la sinvergüenza' for a woman.
Gender confusion
Mistake: “Calling a woman 'una sinvergüenzo'.”
Correction: Always use 'sinvergüenza' for both men and women. The ending never changes to 'o'.
bandido
bahn-DEE-dohbanˈdiðo
Examples
¡Vuelve aquí, pequeño bandido! Me has robado un beso.
Come back here, you little rascal! You stole a kiss from me.
Tu gato es un bandido; siempre se come mi comida.
Your cat is a rascal; he's always eating my food.
Don't be too literal
Mistake: “Thinking someone is calling you a criminal.”
Correction: In a social setting, if a friend calls you 'bandido' with a smile, they mean you're a rogue or a flirt, not a thief.
bribón
bree-BOHNbɾiˈβon
Examples
¡Vuelve aquí, pequeño bribón!
Come back here, you little rascal!
Ese bribón me vendió un reloj que no funciona.
That scoundrel sold me a watch that doesn't work.
Es un bribón muy simpático y siempre se sale con la suya.
He is a very likable rogue and always gets his way.
The '-ón' Ending
In Spanish, words ending in '-ón' often describe someone with a very strong personality trait. Here, it takes the root of an old word for 'beggar' and turns it into someone who is a 'big' trickster.
Using it as an Adjective
Even though it is a noun, you can use it like an adjective to describe someone. For example, 'Ese niño es muy bribón' (That boy is very mischievous).
Thinking it's always an insult
Mistake: “Using 'bribón' only when you are angry.”
Correction: In many contexts, especially with children, it's a playful or even affectionate way to call someone a 'scamp' or 'rascal'.
canalla
kah-NAH-yahkaˈnaʎa
Examples
El presidente de la compañía resultó ser un canalla que robó a sus empleados.
The president of the company turned out to be a scoundrel who stole from his employees.
¡Eres una canalla por haber mentido así!
You are a villain for having lied like that!
Gender Flexibility
Even though canalla ends in -a, it can easily refer to both men (el canalla) and women (la canalla). The word itself stays the same.
Using it too lightly
Mistake: “Using 'canalla' for a minor annoyance.”
Correction: This word carries strong negative weight. Use lighter words like 'travieso' (naughty) for small offenses. Reserve 'canalla' for genuine acts of betrayal or cruelty.
golfo
GOHL-fohˈɡolfo
Examples
No le creas nada, es un golfo.
Don't believe him at all, he's a rascal.
Ese niño es un golfo, siempre está haciendo travesuras.
That kid is a little scoundrel; he's always getting into mischief.
Nos pasamos la noche de fiesta como unos auténticos golfos.
We spent the night partying like total wildcards.
Noun and Adjective
You can use this word as a name for a person ('un golfo') or to describe them ('él es muy golfo').
The Feminine Form Warning
Mistake: “Calling a woman 'golfa' thinking it just means 'lazy'.”
Correction: While 'golfo' (male) is often lighthearted or means 'lazy/party animal', the feminine 'golfa' is often a very strong insult implying a woman is sexually promiscuous. Be very careful!
infeliz
een-feh-LEEZinfeˈliθ
Examples
¡Ese infeliz me robó la cartera!
That scoundrel stole my wallet!
Pobre infeliz, perdió todo en el incendio.
Poor wretch (or poor soul), he lost everything in the fire.
Use as a Noun
When used as a person, you must use an article ('el' or 'la') before it, even though the word 'infeliz' itself doesn't change its ending for gender.
inmoral
een-mo-RAHLinmoˈɾal
Examples
Ese hombre es un inmoral; engañó a toda su familia.
That man is an immoral person; he cheated his whole family.
No quiero trabajar con una inmoral como ella.
I don't want to work with an immoral person like her.
Los inmorales siempre terminan teniendo problemas.
Immoral people always end up having problems.
Turning Adjectives into People
In Spanish, you can turn many adjectives into nouns just by putting 'un' or 'una' (a/an) or 'el' or 'la' (the) in front of them. So 'un inmoral' literally means 'an immoral [person]'.
malvado
mal-VAH-domalˈbaðo
Examples
El malvado fue desenmascarado justo antes de que pudiera ejecutar su plan.
The villain was unmasked just before he could execute his plan.
En las caricaturas, el malvado siempre tiene un bigote grande.
In cartoons, the villain always has a big mustache.
The Adjective as a Noun
When you put an article (el, la, los, las) directly before an adjective like 'malvado,' it changes the adjective into a noun, meaning 'the evil one' or 'the wicked person.' This is a very common structure in Spanish!
miserable
mee-seh-RAH-blehmi.seˈɾa.βle
Examples
Solo un miserable haría algo tan cruel.
Only a despicable person (a scoundrel) would do something so cruel.
No seas tan miserable y comparte tus galletas.
Don't be so mean-spirited (or stingy) and share your cookies.
Using it as a Noun
You can use 'miserable' just like a noun (a person) by adding 'el' or 'la.' This is a very strong insult, calling someone a 'wretch' or 'scoundrel'.
pillo
PEE-yohˈpiʎo
Examples
Ese vendedor resultó ser un pillo y desapareció con nuestro dinero.
That vendor turned out to be a rogue and disappeared with our money.
La policía busca a un pillo que roba carteras en el centro.
The police are looking for a petty thief who steals wallets downtown.
Noun/Adjective Switch
In this context, 'pillo' can be used as an adjective (e.g., 'el vendedor pillo') or as a noun ('es un pillo'), meaning 'he is a rogue'.
bastardo
bahs-TAHR-dohbasˈtardo
Examples
¡Ese bastardo me robó los ahorros de toda mi vida!
That bastard stole my entire life savings!
No seas un bastardo y ayúdame con esto.
Don't be a jerk and help me with this.
El villano de la película era un auténtico bastardo.
The movie villain was a real bastard.
Used as an Exclamation
In Spanish, you can use '¡Bastardo!' alone as a shout to express anger at someone's actions.
Very High Intensity
Mistake: “Using 'bastardo' with a friend as a light joke.”
Correction: Use 'tío' or 'amigo' for friends; 'bastardo' can start a real fight.
desgraciado
dess-grah-SYAH-dohdes.ɣɾaˈsja.ðo
Examples
¡Ese desgraciado me mintió sobre el trato y se quedó con todo!
That scoundrel lied to me about the deal and kept everything!
No le hables, es un desgraciado que solo busca aprovecharse de la gente.
Don't talk to him, he's a despicable person who only looks to take advantage of people.
Used as a Noun
In this context, 'desgraciado' acts as a name for a person, so it usually needs an article before it (el desgraciado, un desgraciado).
gusano
goo-SAH-noɡuˈsano
Examples
No confíes en él, es un gusano que solo busca problemas.
Don't trust him, he's a creep who only looks for trouble.
Lo trataron como a un gusano después de lo que hizo.
They treated him like dirt (like a worm) after what he did.
infame
een-FAH-mehinˈfame
Examples
¡Vete de aquí, infame!
Get out of here, you scoundrel!
El infame huyó antes de que llegara la policía.
The villain fled before the police arrived.
Nadie quería hablar con aquel infame.
Nobody wanted to speak with that wretch.
Using Adjectives as People
In Spanish, you can turn many adjectives into nouns by adding 'el' or 'la'. So 'infame' (vile) becomes 'el infame' (the vile person).
rata
RAH-tahˈra.ta
Examples
No seas rata y paga la mitad de la cuenta.
Don't be a cheapskate and pay half the bill.
Ese político es una rata; solo piensa en robar.
That politician is a crook; he only thinks about stealing.
Referring to People
When used to describe a person, 'rata' is grammatically feminine (it takes 'la' or 'una'), but it can refer to a man or a woman.
Using the Masculine Form
Mistake: “Using *rato* instead of *rata* when insulting someone.”
Correction: The insult is always *rata*. *Rato* means 'a while' or 'a moment' and has a totally different meaning.
Playful vs. Serious Scoundrel
Related Translations
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.