How to Say "terrible" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “terrible” is “terrible” — use this direct cognate for a general sense of 'awful' or 'very bad,' often for opinions on things like movies or experiences.
terrible
teh-REE-blehteˈrible
Examples
La película fue terrible, no me gustó nada.
The movie was terrible, I didn't like it at all.
Tuvimos un accidente terrible en la autopista.
We had a terrible accident on the highway.
Siento un dolor de cabeza terrible.
I have a terrible headache.
Matching with Nouns
'Terrible' is an adjective, a word that describes things. It needs to match the thing it's describing. The good news is it's the same for masculine and feminine things ('un día terrible', 'una noche terrible'). For plural things, just add an '-s' ('días terribles', 'noches terribles').
Placement Matters
Mistake: “Vi una terrible película.”
Correction: Vi una película terrible. In Spanish, descriptive words like 'terrible' usually come *after* the thing they describe. It's the opposite of English and a great way to sound more natural!
desastroso
deh-sahs-TROH-sohdesasˈtɾoso
Examples
El clima fue desastroso durante todo el viaje.
The weather was disastrous during the whole trip.
Tuve un examen desastroso porque no pude dormir nada.
I had an awful exam because I couldn't sleep at all.
La organización del evento resultó ser desastrosa.
The organization of the event turned out to be disastrous.
Adjective Agreement
This word must match the gender of the noun it describes. Change the 'o' to 'a' for feminine things: 'una idea desastrosa' (a disastrous idea).
Usage with Ser vs. Resultar
Use 'ser' to describe the inherent quality of something (it was a bad movie), or 'resultar' to describe how something turned out in the end.
Using it for people
Mistake: “Juan es un desastroso.”
Correction: Say 'Juan es un desastre' or 'Juan es desastroso' (without 'un'). In Spanish, if you use 'un', you need the noun 'desastre' instead of the adjective.
fatal
fah-TAHLfaˈtal
Examples
La comida en ese restaurante era fatal, no pudimos terminarla.
The food at that restaurant was terrible; we couldn't finish it.
Mi entrevista de trabajo fue fatal. No creo que me llamen.
My job interview went terribly (was awful). I don't think they'll call me.
Always the Same Form
Unlike most Spanish adjectives, 'fatal' does not change its ending to match the noun's gender (masculine or feminine) or number (singular or plural). It always stays 'fatal'.
Overusing -mente
Mistake: “Hablamos fatalmente de la película.”
Correction: Hablamos fatal de la película. ('Fatal' can act as an adverb without the '-mente' ending.)
horribles
or-REE-blehsoˈri.βles
Examples
Las noticias que recibimos fueron horribles.
The news we received was horrible (or awful).
Tienen unos modales tan horribles que nadie quiere invitarlos.
They have such awful manners that nobody wants to invite them.
Esos colores son horribles para pintar la cocina.
Those colors are dreadful for painting the kitchen.
Plural Form of an Adjective
This word is the plural form of the adjective 'horrible.' Since 'horrible' ends in a vowel ('e'), we make it plural by adding '-s', resulting in 'horribles.' This form is used when describing two or more things.
Agreement is Key
Adjectives in Spanish must match the nouns they describe. Since 'horribles' is plural, it can only describe plural nouns (e.g., 'errores' or 'situaciones').
Forgetting the Plural
Mistake: “La comida fue horrible (talking about multiple dishes).”
Correction: Las comidas fueron horribles. (The adjective must match the plural subject 'comidas').
horroroso
oh-roh-ROH-sohoroˈɾoso
Examples
Hoy hace un tiempo horroroso, no para de llover.
The weather is awful today; it won't stop raining.
Tengo un dolor de muelas horroroso.
I have a dreadful toothache.
Fue un accidente horroroso en la autopista.
It was a terrible accident on the highway.
Using with 'estar' vs 'ser'
Use 'ser' if the thing is always bad (e.g., 'el libro es horroroso'). Use 'estar' if it's a temporary state, like bad weather (e.g., 'el día está horroroso').
Using it for 'scary'
Mistake: “Saying 'horroroso' when you mean a person is frightening.”
Correction: Use 'aterrador' or 'de miedo' for something that causes fear. 'Horroroso' is more about something being extremely unpleasant or bad quality.
pésimo
Examples
La comida en ese hotel era pésima.
The food at that hotel was awful.
infernal
een-fehr-NALiɱfeɾˈnal
Examples
Hace un calor infernal hoy.
It's unbearably hot today.
Había un ruido infernal en la calle.
There was a hellish noise in the street.
El tráfico de la ciudad es simplemente infernal.
The city traffic is simply unbearable.
One size fits all
Unlike many Spanish describing words, 'infernal' doesn't change for boys or girls. You can use it with 'el calor' (masculine) or 'la bulla' (feminine) without changing the ending.
Placement for emphasis
Usually, you put this word after the thing you are describing. If you put it before (e.g., 'un infernal ruido'), it sounds more dramatic or poetic.
Adding an 'o' or 'a'
Mistake: “Hace un calor infernalo.”
Correction: Say 'calor infernal'. Words ending in 'l' usually don't need a vowel at the end to show gender.
atroz
ah-TROHSaˈtɾos
Examples
Hacía un frío atroz en la cima de la montaña.
It was terribly cold at the top of the mountain.
Tengo un dolor de muelas atroz desde anoche.
I've had an excruciating toothache since last night.
Las noticias informaron sobre un crimen atroz en la ciudad.
The news reported on an atrocious crime in the city.
One Form for All Genders
This word doesn't change its ending for masculine or feminine nouns. You can say 'un hombre atroz' or 'una mujer atroz' and the word stays exactly the same.
The Z to C Plural Rule
When you want to describe more than one thing, the 'z' at the end of the word changes to a 'c' before you add the plural ending. One 'crimen atroz' becomes two 'crímenes atroces'.
Avoid 'Atroza'
Mistake: “La situación fue atroza.”
Correction: La situación fue atroz. (Because adjectives ending in 'z' don't have a separate feminine form).
Spelling the Plural
Mistake: “Sus actos fueron atrozes.”
Correction: Sus actos fueron atroces. (Spanish rules require changing Z to C when followed by an 'e').
perra
PEH-rrah'pera
Examples
Tuve una jaqueca perra todo el día de ayer.
I had a terrible migraine all day yesterday.
¡Qué vida más perra! Nada me sale bien.
What a miserable life! Nothing is going right for me.
Adjective Agreement
When used this way, 'perra' is an adjective and must match the gender of the thing it describes. For a feminine noun use 'perra' (una noche perra), and for a masculine noun use 'perro' (un día perro).
tremendo
treh-MEN-dohtɾeˈmen.do
Examples
Fue una tremenda equivocación confiar en él.
It was a terrible mistake to trust him.
El equipo sufrió una tremenda derrota en la final.
The team suffered an awful defeat in the final.
Meaning Shift
The meaning of 'tremendo' often depends on the context. If you are describing something negative, it intensifies that negativity (e.g., 'tremenda hambre' means severe hunger).
Choosing Between General vs. Specific 'Terrible'
Related Translations
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.