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How to Say "unpleasant" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “unpleasant” is “desagradable” — use this for anything that causes discomfort or a bad feeling, like an unpleasant smell, taste, or a general disagreeable situation..

English → Spanish

desagradable

deh-sah-grah-DAH-bleh/desaɣraˈðable/

adjectiveA2general
Use this for anything that causes discomfort or a bad feeling, like an unpleasant smell, taste, or a general disagreeable situation.
A colorful storybook illustration showing a small child character holding a piece of visibly rotten, brown fruit. Green wavy lines symbolizing a foul odor are rising from the fruit, and the child is recoiling slightly with a wrinkled nose.

Examples

El olor en la cocina era muy desagradable.

The smell in the kitchen was very unpleasant.

No quiero trabajar con él; es una persona muy desagradable.

I don't want to work with him; he is a very disagreeable person.

Tuvimos una experiencia desagradable en el aeropuerto.

We had an unpleasant experience at the airport.

Gender Agreement Tip

Since 'desagradable' ends in '-e', it describes both masculine and feminine things without changing its ending. You only need to make it plural: 'desagradables'.

Using Ser vs. Estar

When describing a permanent or typical characteristic (like a person's personality), use 'ser': 'Él es desagradable'. For a temporary state (like a bad taste right now), use 'estar': 'La sopa está desagradable hoy'.

Forgetting the Plural

Mistake: “Las personas desagradable.”

Correction: Las personas desagradables. (Adjectives must match the noun's number.)

feo

FAY-oh/ˈfe.o/

adjectiveB1general
This is best for describing an unpleasant event or situation that was awkward, difficult, or negatively impactful.
A child sitting on the ground looking sad next to a large puddle of spilled, melted ice cream, illustrating a bad situation.

Examples

Tuvimos un momento feo cuando se rompió la máquina.

We had a bad/unpleasant moment when the machine broke.

El jefe nos puso en un aprieto feo.

The boss put us in a nasty situation.

Hizo un tiempo muy feo toda la semana.

The weather was very nasty/bad all week.

Describing Situations

When 'feo' is applied to abstract concepts like 'momento' (moment) or 'asunto' (matter), it takes on the meaning of unpleasant, difficult, or morally wrong.

ofensiva

/o-fen-SEE-bah//o.fenˈsi.βa/

adjectiveB1general
Choose this when something is unpleasant because it is offensive, rude, or insulting, often referring to comments, jokes, or even smells that are offensive.
A cartoon character with a grumpy expression looking away from a small, harmless gift, appearing insulted.

Examples

Esa broma me pareció muy ofensiva.

I found that joke very offensive.

No quiso usar una actitud ofensiva durante la reunión.

He didn't want to use an offensive attitude during the meeting.

Matching gender

Because this is the feminine form, it must only be used to describe feminine things (like 'la broma' or 'la actitud'). If the thing is masculine, use 'ofensivo'.

Ofensivo vs. Ofensiva

Mistake: “El comentario es ofensiva.”

Correction: El comentario es ofensivo.

feas

/FEH-ahs//ˈfeas/

adjectiveA1general
This term is used to describe unpleasant situations or actions that are considered ugly, improper, or morally wrong.
Two wilted, drooping, and brown flowers in a simple ceramic pot.

Examples

Esas sillas son muy feas.

Those chairs are very ugly.

No me gustan las películas feas.

I don't like unpleasant movies.

Hicieron unas acciones muy feas con sus amigos.

They did some very nasty things to their friends.

The 'Feminine Plural' Rule

You use 'feas' only when the group of things or people you are describing is feminine and there is more than one of them.

Using it for mixed groups

Mistake: “Using 'feas' for a group of boys and girls.”

Correction: Use 'feos' if there is at least one male in the group, even if everyone else is female.

Choosing between 'desagradable' and 'feo'

Learners often confuse 'desagradable' and 'feo'. Remember that 'desagradable' is a broader term for anything causing discomfort, while 'feo' is more specific to situations or moments that were awkward or had a negative impact.

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