An adult male goat and, by extension, a regionally variable word for a contemptible person, a cuckold, an impressive or difficult person or thing, a close friend, a pimp, or the goat-shaped Devil.
La víctima declaró contra el cabrón que la amenazaba.
The victim testified against the pimp who threatened her.
No seas cabrón y devuelve el dinero.
Do not be an asshole, give the money back.
Similar words
chingón
macho cabrío
duro
proxeneta
cabro
hábil
compa
rufián
malnacido
astuto
Meanings
Adult male goat
noun
animals
neutral
An adult male goat, especially one kept for breeding.
Usage
Use cabrón literally for a male goat. Cabro, macho cabrío, and chivo are clearer regional or general alternatives when the vulgar human senses might cause ambiguity.
Examples
El cabrón guiaba el rebaño por la ladera.
The billy goat led the herd along the hillside.
Compraron un cabrón para la cría.
They bought a billy goat for breeding.
El cabrón saltó la cerca del corral.
The he-goat jumped over the pen fence.
La cabra y el cabrón permanecieron junto al establo.
The doe and the billy goat stayed beside the stable.
Ese cabrón tiene los cuernos muy largos.
That billy goat has very long horns.
Common mistakes
The animal sense is confused with the feminine cabra or written without its required accent.
Incorrect
Correct
La cabrón guía el rebaño.
El cabrón guía el rebaño.
Compraron un cabron para la cría.
Compraron un cabrón para la cría.
Los cabrónes saltaron la cerca.
Los cabrones saltaron la cerca.
Similar words
cabro
macho cabrío
chivo
buco
bode
Nasty, troublesome, or contemptible
adjective
insults
slang
Vulgarly describes a person, animal, or thing that behaves badly, causes trouble, or is intensely unpleasant, and also works as a noun for such a person.
Usage
Use cabrón as a forceful insult for someone malicious or infuriating. It is blunter than canalla or sinvergüenza and softer than hijo de puta in many exchanges, although tone and region change its force. It does not by itself prove a specific offence.
Examples
Ese cabrón me vendió una pieza rota.
That bastard sold me a broken part.
La muy cabrona ocultó la carta.
That bitch hid the letter.
No seas cabrón y devuelve el dinero.
Do not be an asshole, give the money back.
El perro cabrón volvió a morder la manguera.
That damned dog bit the hose again.
Fue una semana cabrona, llena de problemas.
It was a brutal week, full of problems.
Common mistakes
Gender and number agreement are lost, or a harmless person is labelled with a strong insult without the intended force.
Incorrect
Correct
La hombre cabrón me engañó.
El hombre cabrón me engañó.
Esas cabrón ocultaron la carta.
Esas cabronas ocultaron la carta.
Los cabrónes rompieron la puerta.
Los cabrones rompieron la puerta.
Similar words
canalla
sinvergüenza
malnacido
desgraciado
hijo de puta
cabronazo
Deceived by an unfaithful partner
adjective
relationships
slang
Vulgarly describes a man whose female partner is unfaithful, especially one who knows of or tolerates it, and also functions as a noun.
Usage
Use cabrón in this older sexual insult only when the cuckold sense is clear. It is blunter and more insulting than engañado, while cornudo is the direct and less ambiguous equivalent. The English loan notion of “bastard” belongs to the broader insult sense.
Examples
En la comedia, el marido acaba siendo un cabrón consentido.
In the comedy, the husband ends up a willing cuckold.
Lo llamaron cabrón al enterarse de la infidelidad.
They called him a cuckold when the affair came to light.
El personaje teme quedar como cabrón ante el pueblo.
The character fears being seen as a cuckold by the town.
La novela presenta al cabrón como objeto de burla.
The novel presents the cuckold as an object of ridicule.
No uses cabrón con ese sentido si solo quieres decir “idiota”.
Do not use cabrón in that sense if you merely mean “idiot.”
Common mistakes
The cuckold sense is used without a male referent or without any context of partner infidelity.
Incorrect
Correct
Ella es un cabrón porque su marido fue infiel.
Ella fue engañada por su marido.
Es cabrón porque perdió el autobús.
Tiene mala suerte porque perdió el autobús.
Los cabrón consentidos aparecen en la obra.
Los cabrones consentidos aparecen en la obra.
Similar words
cornudo
consentido
engañado
Highly skilled, impressive, or difficult
adjective
regional slang
slang
In Mexico, Cuba, and parts of Central America and the Caribbean, intensifies praise for a highly capable person or describes something exceptionally tough or difficult.
Usage
Use cabrón positively for impressive skill or negatively for difficulty only in regions where those readings are established. In praise it is blunter and more admiring than hábil and rougher than chingón in some settings. Outside familiar regional speech it may still be heard as an insult.
Examples
Lucía es cabrona para negociar contratos.
Lucía is a badass at negotiating contracts.
El examen estuvo cabrón.
The exam was really tough.
¡Qué cabrón, resolvió el problema en un minuto!
What a badass, he solved the problem in a minute!
La subida está cabrona después de la lluvia.
The climb is brutal after the rain.
Ese equipo es cabrón cuando juega en casa.
That team is formidable when playing at home.
Common mistakes
The regional intensifier is read as universally positive or its gender agreement is ignored.
Incorrect
Correct
María es muy cabrón para los negocios.
María es muy cabrona para los negocios.
El examen fue cabrona.
El examen estuvo cabrón.
Es una ruta cabrón.
Es una ruta cabrona.
Similar words
hábil
astuto
chingón
duro
difícil
impresionante
Rough address between friends
noun
friendship
slang
In familiar speech in Mexico and some other regions, an affectionate or teasing way to address a close friend, similar to “dude” or “mate.”
Usage
Use cabrón as friendly address only where trust, tone, and local custom make the affection unmistakable. It is much blunter than amigo or compa, and the same word from a stranger or in a tense exchange can immediately become an insult.
Examples
¿Qué onda, cabrón?
What’s up, dude?
Ven acá, cabrona, que te quiero abrazar.
Come here, girl, I want to hug you.
Gracias por venir, cabrón.
Thanks for coming, mate.
Ese cabrón y yo somos amigos desde niños.
That guy and I have been friends since childhood.
Cuídate, cabrón, y escríbeme al llegar.
Take care, buddy, and text me when you arrive.
Common mistakes
Friendly address is used without the close relationship and warm tone that prevent it from sounding hostile.
Incorrect
Correct
Buenos días, cabrón, señor juez.
Buenos días, señor juez.
¿Qué onda, cabrona? le dijo con furia a una desconocida.
¿Qué le pasa? le dijo con furia a una desconocida.
Hola, cabrónes.
Hola, cabrones.
Similar words
amigo
compa
cuate
colega
tipo
Pimp or brothel keeper
noun
crime
slang
In parts of Latin America, a derogatory term for a man who controls or profits from the prostitution of others.
Usage
Use cabrón in this regional criminal sense only when prostitution is explicit. It is blunter than the neutral legal term proxeneta and close in force to the traditional insult rufián, though regional usage varies.
Examples
La policía detuvo al cabrón que explotaba a las mujeres.
Police arrested the pimp who exploited the women.
El cabrón controlaba varias casas clandestinas.
The pimp controlled several illegal houses.
En esa región, cabrón también puede significar proxeneta.
In that region, cabrón can also mean pimp.
La víctima declaró contra el cabrón que la amenazaba.
The victim testified against the pimp who threatened her.
La novela retrata al cabrón como un explotador violento.
The novel portrays the pimp as a violent exploiter.
Common mistakes
The regional crime sense is confused with a generic insult or with the neutral legal term.
Incorrect
Correct
El proxeneta es una palabra vulgar.
Proxeneta es un término neutral.
La cabrón dirigía el burdel.
El cabrón dirigía el burdel.
Los cabrónes fueron detenidos por explotación.
Los cabrones fueron detenidos por explotación.
Similar words
proxeneta
rufián
chulo
padrote
The Devil represented as a goat
noun
religion
neutral
With the article and often a capital letter, a traditional name for the Devil imagined in the form of a male goat, especially in accounts of witches’ gatherings.
Usage
Use el Cabrón for this specific folkloric image of the Devil, not as a general synonym in ordinary religious discussion. Diablo and demonio are broader neutral terms and do not require the goat imagery.
Examples
Según la leyenda, el Cabrón presidía el aquelarre.
According to legend, the Devil presided over the witches’ gathering.
Las brujas rendían homenaje al Cabrón.
The witches paid homage to the goat-shaped Devil.
El grabado representa al Cabrón con grandes cuernos.
The engraving depicts the Devil with large horns.
En el relato, el Cabrón aparece junto al fuego.
In the tale, the Devil appears beside the fire.
El nombre Cabrón alude aquí al diablo del aquelarre.
Here the name Cabrón refers to the Devil of the witches’ gathering.
Common mistakes
The folkloric title loses its article or capitalization, or is used where the ordinary animal is meant.
Incorrect
Correct
Cabrón presidía el aquelarre.
El Cabrón presidía el aquelarre.
El cabrón del rebaño era el Diablo.
El cabrón del rebaño era el macho de la cabra.
Las brujas adoraban a la Cabrón.
Las brujas adoraban al Cabrón.
Similar words
diablo
demonio
Maligno
Tentador
Usage
Treat cabrón as strongly context-dependent. Its literal animal sense is neutral, but most human uses are vulgar or rough, and the difference between insult, praise, and affection depends on region, relationship, and tone.
Common mistakes
Cabron without the accent is misspelled in Spanish, and cabrónes is not the plural. More importantly, a friendly Mexican use does not make the word safe with strangers or across the Spanish-speaking world.
Etymology
From cabro, “male goat,” with the augmentative suffix -ón. The literal animal name developed figurative senses involving cuckoldry, abuse, rough praise, and familiar address.
FAQ
What does cabrón mean?
Depending on context, cabrón can mean a male goat, a bastard or asshole, a cuckold, a badass, a close friend, a pimp, or the goat-shaped Devil.
Is cabrón always offensive?
No. The animal sense is neutral, and familiar regional speech can make it praise or friendly address, but most human uses remain vulgar and risky.
Can cabrón be a compliment?
In Mexico, Cuba, and some nearby varieties, cabrón can praise a highly skilled or impressive person, though its tone remains rough.
What is the feminine and plural of cabrón?
The feminine is cabrona, the masculine plural is cabrones, and the feminine plural is cabronas.
How is cabrón pronounced?
It is pronounced /kaˈbɾon/, with stress on the final syllable.
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