Inklingo

How to Say "sucks" in Spanish

The Spanish word forsucksis apestaB2 level.

English → SpanishB2
Verb (Conjugation)B2informal
is terrible, is awful
A sad, deflated, gray balloon lying on the ground, representing something that is terrible or awful.

Examples

Esa película apesta, no pierdas tu tiempo viéndola.

That movie sucks (is terrible), don't waste your time watching it.

Mi trabajo apesta, el ambiente es muy tóxico.

My job is awful (sucks), the atmosphere is very toxic.

Figurative Use

This meaning uses the idea of a bad smell to describe something of poor quality, usually a non-physical thing like a plan, a job, or a piece of entertainment.

Too Formal Context

Mistake:Using 'apesta' in a formal business email to describe a competitor's product.

Correction: This usage is too informal for serious contexts. Use 'es de baja calidad' (it is low quality) instead.

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