malísimo

Malísimo is a Spanish adjective that forms the superlative of malo, meaning extremely bad or very bad. It is used to express a strong negative assessment of a noun or situation. The word agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies: malísmo? No, malísimo (masc. sing.), malísima (fem. sing.), malísimos (masc. pl.), malísimas (fem. pl.).

Etymology and forms: malísimo is derived from malo with the suffix -ísimo, which amplifies the meaning to a high degree. This pattern yields a range of associated forms to match gender and plurality. It is primarily used as an adjective and not as a noun.

Usage: Malísimo commonly precedes or follows the noun it describes, as in una película malísima, una noticia malísima, or un día malísimo. It can describe a person’s performance, a taste, a mood, or a situation, e.g., “El equipo jugó malísimo.” In everyday speech, malísimo can also express a subjective state, including health, as in “Estoy malísimo,” meaning “I feel terrible.” In formal writing, speakers may opt for stronger or more neutral terms such as pésimo or extremadamente malo, depending on register and nuance.

Related terms: Malo is the base word; peor is the comparative form; pésimo is another strong intensifier with a somewhat more formal tone. Spanish also uses a variety of adjectives with -ísimo to intensify quality in a similar way.

See also: Malo, Peor, Pésimo, Superlatives in Spanish.