tremendo
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en
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terrible, dreadful, serious, huge, tremendous
/tɾeˈmendo/
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A forceful adjective for what is terrible, enormous, impressive, or, in colloquial family talk, mischievously hard to manage.
Examples
Su respuesta fue tremenda y todos aplaudieron.
His answer was brilliant, and everyone applauded.
¡Qué tremenda jugada!
What an amazing play!
El corredor llegó con un cansancio tremendo.
The runner arrived with terrible exhaustion.
La noticia causó una tremenda tristeza.
The news caused tremendous sadness.
Nos esperaba una tremenda cantidad de trabajo.
A huge amount of work was waiting for us.
Similar words
genial
funesto
terrible
inmenso
pavoroso
extraordinario
considerable
enorme
atroz
impresionante
Meanings
Usage
Use tremendo for events, losses, mistakes, and consequences that feel severe or alarming.
Examples
El tremendo temporal dejó al pueblo sin luz.
The terrible storm left the town without power.
La noticia causó una tremenda tristeza.
The news caused tremendous sadness.
Fue un tremendo error confiar en esos datos.
It was a serious mistake to trust that data.
La familia sufrió una tremenda pérdida.
The family suffered a terrible loss.
El incendio provocó daños tremendos.
The fire caused huge damage.
Entró con una tremenda furia.
He came in with tremendous fury.
La sequía tuvo consecuencias tremendas.
The drought had terrible consequences.
Common mistakes
The feminine form is missed before feminine nouns, and the negative force is softened where a plainer adjective is needed.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| La tremendo tragedia nos marcó.
| La tremenda tragedia nos marcó.
|
| Fue un día tremendo feliz.
| Fue un día muy feliz.
|
| El accidente fue tremendo leve.
| El accidente fue leve.
|
Similar words
terrible
horrible
espantoso
atroz
grave
funesto
pavoroso
desastroso
Usage
Use tremendo with nouns such as cantidad, ruido, hambre, ganas, or esfuerzo when the degree is striking.
Examples
Tengo unas ganas tremendas de verte.
I am really looking forward to seeing you.
Nos esperaba una tremenda cantidad de trabajo.
A huge amount of work was waiting for us.
El equipo hizo un esfuerzo tremendo.
The team made a tremendous effort.
Había un ruido tremendo en la calle.
There was a tremendous noise in the street.
La mudanza nos dio un trabajo tremendo.
The move gave us a huge amount of work.
El corredor llegó con un cansancio tremendo.
The runner arrived with terrible exhaustion.
La empresa asumió un riesgo tremendo.
The company took on a huge risk.
Common mistakes
It is treated like an adverb before another adjective, or agreement is forgotten in plural phrases.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| El ruido era tremendo fuerte.
| El ruido era muy fuerte.
|
| Tengo unas ganas tremendo de viajar.
| Tengo unas ganas tremendas de viajar.
|
| Hizo tremendo esfuerzos.
| Hizo esfuerzos tremendos.
|
Similar words
enorme
inmenso
descomunal
colosal
grandísimo
considerable
excesivo
extraordinario
Usage
Use tremendo in informal praise for performances, plays, meals, answers, and other things that stand out strongly.
Examples
La cantante dio un concierto tremendo.
The singer gave an amazing concert.
¡Qué tremenda jugada!
What an amazing play!
Ese actor está tremendo en la nueva serie.
That actor is fantastic in the new series.
Preparaste una cena tremenda.
You made an amazing dinner.
El discurso final fue tremendo.
The final speech was impressive.
La novela tiene un final tremendo.
The novel has an incredible ending.
Su respuesta fue tremenda y todos aplaudieron.
His answer was brilliant, and everyone applauded.
Common mistakes
The positive sense is overused in formal writing, and the adjective is sometimes paired with a second intensifier.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| La propuesta oficial es tremenda.
| La propuesta oficial es excelente.
|
| La cena estuvo tremendo buena.
| La cena estuvo muy buena.
|
| Fue una tremendo jugada.
| Fue una tremenda jugada.
|
Similar words
impresionante
excelente
fantástico
genial
increíble
espectacular
formidable
brillante
Usage
Use tremendo affectionately or mildly critically for children, pets, and groups whose energy turns into mischief.
Examples
Ese niño es tremendo y no se queda quieto.
That boy is a little terror and never sits still.
De pequeña, Laura era tremenda.
As a child, Laura was naughty.
Los gemelos son tremendos cuando se aburren.
The twins are mischievous when they get bored.
Mi sobrino hizo otra travesura, es tremendo.
My nephew played another prank, he is a little terror.
La maestra dijo que la clase estaba tremenda hoy.
The teacher said the class was wild today.
Con esa sonrisa, hasta cuando es tremenda cae bien.
With that smile, even when she is naughty she is charming.
No dejes solo al cachorro, está tremendo esta semana.
Do not leave the puppy alone, he is a handful this week.
Common mistakes
The child sense is confused with serious badness, and the feminine or plural form is left unchanged.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| Mi hija es tremendo.
| Mi hija es tremenda.
|
| El ladrón fue tremendo.
| El ladrón fue terrible.
|
| Los niños son tremendo.
| Los niños son tremendos.
|
Similar words
travieso
inquieto
revoltoso
pillo
diablillo
latoso
bribón
juguetón
Usage
Read the tone from the noun and context: tremendo can condemn, intensify, praise, or lightly scold.
Common mistakes
Una tremendo pérdida misses gender agreement, and tremendo is not an adverb before another adjective.
Etymology
From Latin tremendus, the gerundive of tremere 'to tremble', originally carrying the idea of something to be trembled at.
FAQ
Tremendo can mean terrible, huge, impressive, or naughty, depending on the noun and tone.
Is tremendo always negative?
No. It can describe something dreadful, but it can also praise a tremendo performance or intensify a tremenda amount.
Can tremendo mean naughty?
Yes. In colloquial speech, especially about children or pets, tremendo can mean mischievous or a handful.
How does tremendo change for gender and number?
It agrees like a regular adjective: tremendo, tremenda, tremendos, and tremendas.
Can tremendo be used before another adjective?
No. Say muy fuerte or muy bueno, not tremendo fuerte or tremendo bueno.
What are common English translations of tremendo?
Common translations include terrible, huge, tremendous, amazing, naughty, and little terror.
Where does tremendo come from?
It comes from Latin tremendus, related to tremere, meaning 'to tremble'.
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