boludo

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idiot, fool, dude, mate, lazy person
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/boˈluðo/
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A vulgar Spanish slang word that ranges from fool or idiot to friendly mate, with regional senses for laziness, rounded shape, wealth, youth, and large size.
Practice using this word in conversation

Examples

  • Compró unos zapatos boludos para el desfile.
    He bought round-toed shoes for the parade.
  • El empleado boludo nunca termina el trabajo.
    The lazy employee never finishes the work.
  • El vecino boludo llegó en un auto nuevo.
    The wealthy neighbor arrived in a new car.
  • Esa boluda ya quiere manejar sola.
    That girl already wants to drive alone.
  • En el pueblo todos conocen al ganadero boludo.
    Everyone in town knows the well-off rancher.

Similar words

vago
redondeado
rico
bobo
abultado
adinerado
dineroso
saliente
pelotudo
grandote

Meanings

Fool or idiot

noun
everyday
slang
A rude slang word for a foolish, stupid, or clueless person, often used as an insult.

Usage

Use boludo carefully for an idiot or fool, because it is vulgar and can be sharply insulting.

Examples

  • No seas boludo, mirá antes de cruzar.
    Do not be an idiot, look before crossing.
  • Me olvidé las llaves como un boludo.
    I forgot the keys like a fool.
  • Ese comentario boludo arruinó la reunión.
    That stupid comment ruined the meeting.
  • La película se ríe de un personaje bastante boludo.
    The film laughs at a rather foolish character.
  • Le dijo boludo y la charla terminó mal.
    He called him an idiot and the conversation ended badly.

Common mistakes

The insult can sound much stronger than a casual English dude if the tone or relationship is wrong.
IncorrectCorrect
No seas boludo, mirá antes de cruzar. No seas boludo, mirá antes de cruzar.
Ella es un boludo. Ella es una boluda.
Ese elogio boludo fue muy amable. Ese insulto boludo fue muy fuerte.

Similar words

tonto
bobo
estúpido
necio
idiota
pelotudo
zapallo

Friendly mate

noun
conversation
informal
A familiar way to address a friend, especially in Argentina, where tone decides whether it feels warm or insulting.

Usage

Use boludo as a friendly address only where that is normal, especially among close Argentine friends.

Examples

  • Che, boludo, vení un segundo.
    Hey, dude, come here a second.
  • ¿Todo bien, boludo?
    All good, mate?
  • Gracias, boluda, me salvaste.
    Thanks, dude, you saved me.
  • Dale, boludo, vamos al bar.
    Come on, bro, let's go to the bar.
  • Mirá, boluda, te cuento algo.
    Look, girl, I will tell you something.

Common mistakes

The friendly address is unsafe in formal settings or with people who do not share the slang.
IncorrectCorrect
Le dije boludo a mi jefe en la reunión formal. Le dije señor a mi jefe en la reunión formal.
Che, boludo, usted podría firmar esto. Che, boludo, ¿firmás esto?
Hola boludo, estimada directora. Hola, estimada directora.

Similar words

amigo
che
pibe
compa
loco

Lazy person

noun
work
slang
A lazy, slow, or irresponsible person, especially in parts of Mexico, Central America, Uruguay, and nearby areas.

Usage

Use boludo for laziness or slowness only in regions where that sense is current.

Examples

  • El empleado boludo nunca termina el trabajo.
    The lazy employee never finishes the work.
  • No contrates a alguien tan boludo para la obra.
    Do not hire someone so lazy for the job.
  • Mi primo anda boludo y no quiere ayudar.
    My cousin is acting lazy and does not want to help.
  • Le dicen boludo porque evita cualquier esfuerzo.
    They call him a slacker because he avoids any effort.
  • Dejá de hacerte el boludo y ayudá.
    Stop playing dumb and help.

Common mistakes

The lazy sense is regional and should not be assumed from Argentine friendly address.
IncorrectCorrect
El empleado boludo terminó todo antes de tiempo. El empleado trabajador terminó todo antes de tiempo.
No te hagas el boluda. No te hagas la boluda.
Es boludo porque trabaja sin parar. Es trabajador porque trabaja sin parar.

Similar words

vago
perezoso
haragán
lerdo
parsimonioso

Bulging or round

adjective
shape
neutral
Rounded, bulging, or sticking out, and in Cuba used of shoes with a rounded toe.

Usage

Use boludo for a rounded or bulging shape when the context clearly talks about form, not intelligence.

Examples

  • Compró unos zapatos boludos para el desfile.
    He bought round-toed shoes for the parade.
  • El pomo quedó boludo después del golpe.
    The knob became bulging after the blow.
  • La pieza boluda no entraba en la caja.
    The bulging part did not fit in the box.
  • El adorno tenía una punta boluda y redonda.
    The ornament had a rounded tip.
  • La fruta salió más boluda que las otras.
    The fruit came out more bulging than the others.

Common mistakes

The shape sense is confused with the insult unless the noun is an object or shoe.
IncorrectCorrect
Compró zapatos boludo. Compró zapatos boludos.
La punta afilada es boluda. La punta redondeada es boluda.
El objeto plano quedó boludo. El objeto abultado quedó boludo.

Similar words

abultado
protuberante
redondeado
saliente

Wealthy

adjective
money
informal
Wealthy or well-off, a regional sense especially recorded for El Salvador.

Usage

Use boludo for wealth only in the Salvadoran regional sense, since elsewhere it usually means something very different.

Examples

  • Dicen que ese comerciante es boludo.
    They say that merchant is wealthy.
  • La familia boluda compró otra casa.
    The rich family bought another house.
  • El vecino boludo llegó en un auto nuevo.
    The wealthy neighbor arrived in a new car.
  • En el pueblo todos conocen al ganadero boludo.
    Everyone in town knows the well-off rancher.
  • Se casó con una heredera boluda.
    He married a rich heiress.

Common mistakes

The wealth sense is regional and can be badly misunderstood outside El Salvador.
IncorrectCorrect
La familia pobre era boluda. La familia rica era boluda.
El comerciante boludo no tiene dinero. El comerciante boludo tiene mucho dinero.
Una casa boluda significa una casa tonta. Una familia boluda puede significar una familia adinerada.

Similar words

adinerado
dineroso
rico
acomodado

Youth or adolescent

noun
age
slang
A young person who is no longer a child, especially in Chilean and Uruguayan regional use.

Usage

Use boludo for a youth only in the regional sense, not as a general Spanish word for teenager.

Examples

  • Los boludos salieron tarde del liceo.
    The teenagers left the high school late.
  • Esa boluda ya quiere manejar sola.
    That girl already wants to drive alone.
  • El club abrió un taller para boludos.
    The club opened a workshop for young people.
  • Los boludos del barrio juegan al fútbol.
    The kids from the neighborhood play soccer.
  • Cuando era boludo, pasaba horas en la rambla.
    When I was a teenager, I spent hours on the waterfront.

Common mistakes

The youth sense is regional and does not replace ordinary words like adolescente everywhere.
IncorrectCorrect
El niño de cinco años es boludo. El joven de quince años es boludo.
Los viejos boludos salieron del liceo. Los boludos salieron del liceo.
Esa boludo ya quiere manejar. Esa boluda ya quiere manejar.

Similar words

adolescente
joven
mozo
muchacho

Very large

adjective
size
slang
Very large or bulky, a regional Uruguayan sense used for things.

Usage

Use boludo for something large in Uruguayan regional speech, not as a neutral size adjective.

Examples

  • Trajo una valija boluda para dos días.
    He brought a huge suitcase for two days.
  • Pusieron una mesa boluda en el comedor.
    They put a big table in the dining room.
  • El perro encontró un hueso boludo.
    The dog found a huge bone.
  • La campera boluda ocupaba todo el bolso.
    The bulky jacket took up the whole bag.
  • Compró un televisor boludo para el cuarto.
    He bought a huge television for the room.

Common mistakes

The large-size sense is regional and only applies naturally to things.
IncorrectCorrect
Trajo una valija boludo. Trajo una valija boluda.
La caja pequeña era boluda. La caja grande era boluda.
Un objeto boludo siempre es inteligente. Un objeto boludo puede ser grande en Uruguay.

Similar words

grande
enorme
grandote
abultado

Usage

Let region, tone, and relationship decide the meaning: in Argentina it may be an insult or friendly address, while other countries use it for laziness, shape, wealth, youth, or size.

Common mistakes

Boludo is treated as harmless everywhere, but outside the right relationship or region it can sound vulgar, insulting, or simply mean a different thing.

Etymology

From bola plus the suffix -udo, originally pointing to something large or ball-like before the slang meanings developed.

FAQ

What does boludo mean?

Boludo most often means an idiot or fool, but in Argentina it can also be a friendly address like mate or dude.

Is boludo offensive?

Yes, it can be vulgar and insulting. Among close Argentine friends it may be affectionate, but tone and relationship matter.

Can boludo be feminine?

Yes. The feminine form is boluda, with plurals boludos and boludas.

Where is boludo used as a friendly address?

ASALE records boludo as a youth formula for addressing a friend in Argentina, and similar slang is heard in Rioplatense speech.

What is the origin of boludo?

Boludo comes from bola plus -udo, a suffix used for having or being marked by something.

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