How to Insult Someone in Spanish

Quick Answer

Let's take a look at some of most common insultos(insults) in the Spanish language!

Many of the insults listed here are juvenile and insensitive and could cause a lot of damage to someone’s self-esteem when used inappropriately. We are including them because it's important to understand when you're being insulted, but in no way do we condone actually using them!

Insults to Someone's Intelligence

Idiota(idiot/stupid), tonto(fool/foolish), and estúpido(idiot/stupid) are three common ways to insult someone’s intelligence in Spanish. They can be used as nouns or adjectives.

For example:

examples
¡Eres un idiota! ¡Dejaste las llaves dentro del auto! You're an idiot! You left the keys in the car!
¡No seas estúpido! Los pájaros no son mamíferos. Don’t be stupid! Birds aren't mammals.

Here is a list of other words used to insult someone’s intelligence:

Spanish	English
adoquín	blockhead
alcornoque	idiot, fool
alelado	stupid
baboso	idiot, fool
bobalicón	idiot or dumb
bobo	idiot or dumb
cabeza hueca	airhead
sonso(Latin America)	silly, dumb

Here are some insulting phrases you may hear in the Spanish-speaking world.

Spanish	English
¡El burro sabe mas que tú!	Donkeys know more than you!
No tengo ni el tiempo ni los crayones para explicártelo.	I have neither the time nor the crayons to explain this to you.

Insults to Someone's Athletic Ability or Lack of Courage

Spanish-speaking sports fans really get into the spirit of competition, so it is not uncommon to hear fans at a sporting event insulting the ability, strength, or lack of courage of a player.

Take a look at these words and phrases so you know what's going on at the next match.

Spanish	English
alfeñique	weakling
cobarde	coward
gallina	chicken, wimp, wuss
llorón	crybaby
patoso(Spain)	butterfingers
pelele	wimp, wuss
tener dos pies izquierdos	to have two left feet
torpe	clumsy or oaf

Check out some examples!

examples
¡Levántate, llorón! Get up, you crybaby!
No puedo creer que esa gallina se agachó cuando la pelota iba hacia él. I can't believe that wuss ducked when the ball came at him.

Other Insults

Spanish	English
bicho raro	freak
bocón(Latin America) or bocazas(Spain)	bigmouth
canalla	scumbag
cantamañanas	loudmouth
chismoso	gossip, bigmouth
cursi	corny
gandalla(Mexico)	jerk, opportunist
fodongo(Mexico)	sloppy, slovenly
hortera(Spain) or naco(Mexico)	tacky
lameculosor besamanos	brownnoser
malasombra(Spain)	pest
perdedor	loser
ratero	despicable or thief
sabelotodo	know-it-all
sanguijuela	leech, bloodsucker
sinvergüenza	shameless, swine
tacaño	cheap or stingy