pendejo

English

Etymology

Category:English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European#PENDEJOCategory:English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *peḱ- (pluck)#PENDEJO Category:English terms derived from Vulgar Latin#PENDEJOCategory:English terms derived from Latin#PENDEJO

Borrowed from SpanishCategory:English terms borrowed from Spanish#PENDEJOCategory:English terms derived from Spanish#PENDEJO pendejo.

Pronunciation

Noun

pendejo (plural pendejos)Category:English lemmas#PENDEJOCategory:English nouns#PENDEJOCategory:English countable nouns#PENDEJOCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#PENDEJOCategory:Pages with entries#PENDEJOCategory:Pages with 2 entries#PENDEJO

  1. (USCategory:American English#PENDEJO, MexicoCategory:Mexican English#PENDEJO, slangCategory:English slang#PENDEJO, derogatoryCategory:English derogatory terms#PENDEJO) A stupid person.

Usage notes

  • Typically only used by Spanish-speaking people.
Category:en:People#PENDEJO

Spanish

Alternative forms

Etymology

Category:Spanish terms derived from Proto-Indo-European#PENDEJOCategory:Spanish terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *peḱ- (pluck)#PENDEJO

Inherited from Vulgar LatinCategory:Spanish terms inherited from Vulgar Latin#PENDEJOCategory:Spanish terms derived from Vulgar Latin#PENDEJO *pectinī̆culum, diminutive of LatinCategory:Spanish terms derived from Latin#PENDEJO pecten (“pubic hair; comb”). The unexpected /nd/ may be due to the influence of pender (“hang down, dangle”). Compare Portuguese pentelho.

Pronunciation

Noun

pendejo m (plural pendejos, feminine pendeja, feminine plural pendejas)Category:Spanish lemmas#PENDEJOCategory:Spanish nouns#PENDEJOCategory:Spanish countable nouns#PENDEJOCategory:Spanish entries with incorrect language header#PENDEJOCategory:Spanish masculine nouns#PENDEJOCategory:Pages with entries#PENDEJOCategory:Pages with 2 entries#PENDEJO

  1. (masculine only, rareCategory:Spanish terms with rare senses#PENDEJO, datedCategory:Spanish dated terms#PENDEJO) pubic hair (a single hair growing in the pubic region)
    Hypernym: vello púbico
  2. (derogatoryCategory:Spanish derogatory terms#PENDEJO, vulgarCategory:Spanish vulgarities#PENDEJO, chiefly Latin AmericaCategory:Latin American Spanish#PENDEJO) arsehole, asshole, stupid, idiot, dirtbag, scumbag (a contemptible person)
    • 2006, Edgar, La caída de Edgar:
      ¡Ya, güey! ¡Pinche pendejo, güey, ya! ¡Pinche vato! ¡Ya güey! ¡Ya güey, por favor, idiota! ¡Pinche pendejo idiota!
      Hey, dude! You fucking idiot, dude, stop! You fucking dude! Stop it, dude! Stop it, dude, please, you idiot! You fucking idiot!
      Category:Spanish terms with quotations#PENDEJO
    No me importa lo que ese pendejo diga.
    I don't care about what that asshole says.
    Category:Spanish terms with usage examples#PENDEJO
    ¡Cállate, jodido pendejo de mierda!
    Shut up, fucking idiot!
    Category:Spanish terms with usage examples#PENDEJO
    Ese pendejo no me hace caso.
    That idiot doesn't pay attention to me.
    Category:Spanish terms with usage examples#PENDEJO
  3. (derogatoryCategory:Spanish derogatory terms#PENDEJO, vulgarCategory:Spanish vulgarities#PENDEJO, chiefly Latin AmericaCategory:Latin American Spanish#PENDEJO) dumbass (stupid person)
    Synonyms: idiota, (Spain) gilipollas, (Argentina, Dominican Republic) boludo
    Paco reprobó el examen. Es un pinche pendejo.
    Paco failed the test. He's a fucking dumbass.
    Category:Spanish terms with usage examples#PENDEJO
    Todos ustedes son pendejos.
    All of you are idiots.
    Category:Spanish terms with usage examples#PENDEJO
    No más pendejos aquí.
    No more idiots here.
    Category:Spanish terms with usage examples#PENDEJO
  4. (Southern ConeCategory:Southern Cone Spanish#PENDEJO, colloquialCategory:Spanish colloquialisms#PENDEJO) young boy
    Cuando era pendejo ibamos a Mar de Plata todos los veranos.
    When I was a boy we went to Mar de Plata every summer.
    Category:Spanish terms with usage examples#PENDEJO
    1. (Southern ConeCategory:Southern Cone Spanish#PENDEJO, PanamaCategory:Panamanian Spanish#PENDEJO, colloquialCategory:Spanish colloquialisms#PENDEJO) man child
  5. (Southern ConeCategory:Southern Cone Spanish#PENDEJO) punk (an adolescent who presumes to be an adult)
  6. (Costa RicaCategory:Costa Rican Spanish#PENDEJO, CaribbeanCategory:Caribbean Spanish#PENDEJO) coward
  7. (PeruCategory:Peruvian Spanish#PENDEJO, vulgarCategory:Spanish vulgarities#PENDEJO) perspicacious, perceptive, cunning, smart, clever, scoundrel
  8. (colloquialCategory:Spanish colloquialisms#PENDEJO) of irregular and disorderly life
  9. (AndalusiaCategory:Andalusian Spanish#PENDEJO, colloquialCategory:Spanish colloquialisms#PENDEJO) mistletoe
  10. (AndalusiaCategory:Andalusian Spanish#PENDEJO, colloquialCategory:Spanish colloquialisms#PENDEJO) type of pumpkin

Adjective

pendejo (feminine pendeja, masculine plural pendejos, feminine plural pendejas)Category:Spanish lemmas#PENDEJOCategory:Spanish adjectives#PENDEJOCategory:Spanish entries with incorrect language header#PENDEJOCategory:Pages with entries#PENDEJOCategory:Pages with 2 entries#PENDEJO

  1. (derogatoryCategory:Spanish derogatory terms#PENDEJO, offensiveCategory:Spanish offensive terms#PENDEJO, vulgarCategory:Spanish vulgarities#PENDEJO, chiefly Latin AmericaCategory:Latin American Spanish#PENDEJO) stupid, idiot, asshole
    No seas tan pendejo.
    Don't be so stupid.
    Category:Spanish terms with usage examples#PENDEJO
    Me jodí por pendejo.
    I screwed myself over for being stupid.
    Category:Spanish terms with usage examples#PENDEJO

Usage notes

  • Although in some contexts zonzo, bobo, tonto, menso, culero, tarado, idiota, imbécil, estúpido and pendejo may be synonyms, in most contexts they have a different degree of intensity, with zonzo having the mildest connotation, increasing in intensity in that rough order, to estúpido and pendejo, which have the most offensive meaning.

Derived terms

Further reading

Category:es:Fear#PENDEJOCategory:es:Hair#PENDEJOCategory:es:People#PENDEJO Category:Spanish swear words#PENDEJO Category:Mexican Spanish#PENDEJO
Category:American English Category:Andalusian Spanish Category:Caribbean Spanish Category:Costa Rican Spanish Category:English 3-syllable words Category:English countable nouns Category:English derogatory terms Category:English lemmas Category:English nouns Category:English slang Category:English terms borrowed from Spanish Category:English terms derived from Latin Category:English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European Category:English terms derived from Spanish Category:English terms derived from Vulgar Latin Category:English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *peḱ- (pluck) Category:English terms with IPA pronunciation Category:English terms with audio pronunciation Category:Latin American Spanish Category:Mexican English Category:Mexican Spanish Category:Pages with 2 entries Category:Pages with entries Category:Panamanian Spanish Category:Peruvian Spanish Category:Rhymes:Spanish/exo Category:Rhymes:Spanish/exo/3 syllables Category:Southern Cone Spanish Category:Spanish 3-syllable words Category:Spanish adjectives Category:Spanish colloquialisms Category:Spanish countable nouns Category:Spanish dated terms Category:Spanish derogatory terms Category:Spanish lemmas Category:Spanish masculine nouns Category:Spanish nouns Category:Spanish offensive terms Category:Spanish swear words Category:Spanish terms derived from Latin Category:Spanish terms derived from Proto-Indo-European Category:Spanish terms derived from Vulgar Latin Category:Spanish terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *peḱ- (pluck) Category:Spanish terms inherited from Vulgar Latin Category:Spanish terms with IPA pronunciation Category:Spanish terms with audio pronunciation Category:Spanish terms with quotations Category:Spanish terms with rare senses Category:Spanish terms with usage examples Category:Spanish vulgarities Category:en:People Category:es:Fear Category:es:Hair Category:es:People