| Compound Forms: |
WordReference English-Spanish Dictionary © 2026:
badmouth [sb],
bad-mouth⇒ vtr | informal (disparage [sb]) | difamar a vtr + prep |
| | | insultar a vtr + prep |
| | | hablar mal de loc verb |
| | Janice badmouthed her old employer, who then refused to provide her with a reference. |
| big mouth n | figurative, informal (tendency to speak without tact) (coloquial) | bocaza nf |
| | He's always getting into trouble because of his big mouth. |
| | Siempre anda metiéndose en líos por su bocaza. |
| | (AR, persona) | bocón, bocona nm, nf |
| | (ES, persona) | bocazas n común |
| | Siempre anda metiéndose en líos porque es un bocón. |
| born with a silver spoon in your mouth adj | figurative (have a wealthy upbringing) (riqueza) | nacer en cuna de oro, nacer en una cuna de oro loc verb |
| | She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. |
button your mouth,
button your lip v expr | dated, figurative, slang (do not talk) | cerrar la boca loc verb |
| | | sellar los labios loc verb |
| | Button your mouth--I don't want to hear about it any more. |
| by word of mouth adv | (from what others say) | por el boca a boca, boca a boca loc adv |
| | | de boca en boca loc adv |
| | (ES: coloquial) | por radio macuto loc adv |
| | The film was not heavily advertised, but its popularity quickly grew by word of mouth. |
cottonmouth,
cotton mouth n | US, informal (dry feeling in mouth) | boca seca loc nom f |
| Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. expr | figurative (Be grateful for [sth] free.) (CR, PR) | a caballo regalado no se le mira el colmillo expr |
| | I was disappointed that the antique vase my aunt gave me had a chip in the rim, but my mother said, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." |
| | (MX) | a caballo regalado no se le ve el colmillo expr |
| | | a caballo regalado no le mires el diente, a caballo regalado no le mires el dentado expr |
| | | a caballo regalado no se le miran los dientes expr |
| | | a caballo regalado no se le miran los dientes expr |
| | Me decepcionó que la vasija antigua que me regaló mi tía tuviera una quebradura, pero mi madre me dijo: «A caballo regalado no le mires el diente». |
down in the mouth,
down-in-the-mouth adj | informal (sad) | triste adj mf |
| | | alicaído/a, abatido/a, consternado adj |
| foot-and-mouth disease n | (animal pathology) (patología animal) | fiebre aftosa loc nom f |
| | | aftosa nf |
| | | glosopeda nf |
| from the horse's mouth expr | (first-hand, directly from the source) | de primera mano loc adv |
| | | de primera fuente loc adv |
| | Of course it's true - I got it straight from the horse's mouth. |
| | Claro que es cierto, ¡lo obtuve de primera mano! |
| | Claro que es cierto, ¡lo obtuve de primera fuente! |
foam at the mouth,
froth at the mouth v expr | (produce foamy spittle) | echar espuma por la boca loc verb |
| | If a dog is frothing at the mouth it may have rabies. |
| | The horse foamed at the mouth as it ran. |
| | Si un perro está echando espuma por la boca, puede tener rabia. |
foam at the mouth,
froth at the mouth v expr | figurative, informal (be furious) (figurado) | echar espuma por la boca loc verb |
| | The governor was frothing at the mouth after she was accused of misconduct. |
| | La gobernadora echaba espuma por la boca después de ser acusada de mala conducta. |
| | | estar rabioso loc verb |
| | La gobernadora estaba rabiosa después de ser acusada de mala conducta. |
| hand-to-mouth adj | figurative (meeting only immediate needs) | al día loc adv |
| | | con lo justo loc adv |
| Note: Hyphens are used when the term is an adjective |
| | Since being fired from his job, he has had to live a hand-to-mouth existence. |
| | Desde que lo echaron del trabajo, ha estado llevando una vida al día. |
| | | precario/a adj |
| | | básico/a adj |
| | Desde que lo echaron del trabajo, ha estado llevando una vida precaria. |
| hand to mouth adv | figurative (meeting only immediate needs) | al día loc adv |
| | | con lo justo loc adv |
| | Since Mary was fired from her job, she has struggled through life hand to mouth. |
| harmonica n | (musical instrument) | armónica nf |
| | (PE) | rondín nm |
| | A man stood on the corner, playing a blues tune on a harmonica. |
| | En la esquina, un hombre tocaba una melodía de blues con una armónica. |
| have your heart in your mouth v expr | figurative (be anxious, fearful) (figurado) | tener el corazón en la boca loc verb |
| | (figurado) | tener el corazón en un puño loc verb |
your heart is in your mouth,
your heart is in your throat expr | figurative ([sb] is anxious, fearful) (figurado) | tener el corazón en la boca loc verb |
| horse's mouth | (source) | de buena fuente loc adv |
| hungry mouth n | (dependant) | boca que alimentar loc nom f |
| | He has just lost his job and he has three hungry mouths to feed. |
Jew's harp,
mouth harp n | (musical instrument played with mouth) | birimbao nm |
| | The Jew's harp, or mouth harp, is played in various forms all round the world. |
| | | arpa judía nf |
| | ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. El arpa judía es un instrumento muy antiguo. |
largemouth bass,
large-mouth bass n | (fish) | perca atruchada loc nom f |
| | | lobina negra loc nom f |
leave a sour taste,
leave a sour taste in your mouth v expr | figurative (be unpleasant) | dejar un gusto amargo loc verb |
live from hand to mouth,
live hand to mouth v expr | (be poor) | vivir precariamente vi + adv |
| | Though they appeared wealthy, they actually lived from hand to mouth. |
| | ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. Por entonces vivíamos muy precariamente, apenas si nos alcanzaba para comer. |
| | | vivir con una mano delante y otra detrás expr |
| | ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. Cuando se separó, se quedó en la ruina. Se fue con una mano delante y otra detrás. |
| | (ES) | estar a dos velas expr |
| make [sb]'s mouth water v expr | informal (food: look appetizing) | hacérsele agua la boca a loc verb + prep |
| | | hacérsele la boca agua a loc verb + prep |
| | The smell of that steak on the grill is making my mouth water. |
| | Con el olor de ese bistec sobre la parrilla, se me hace agua la boca. |
mouth breathing,
mouth-breathing n | (breathing through the mouth) | respiración por la boca grupo nom |
| Note: hyphen used when term is an adj before a noun |
| mouth guard n | (protective shield for teeth) | protector bucal |
| | She put her mouth guard in before playing rugby. |
| mouth organ n | (musical instrument: harmonica) | armónica nf |
| | (PE) | rondín nm |
mouth to feed,
hungry mouth to feed n | figurative (dependent: family member) | boca que alimentar loc nom f |
| | I have five mouths to feed. |
| | Tengo cinco bocas que alimentar. |
mouth ulcer,
also US: canker sore n | (oral sore) (Medicina) | afta nf |
| | (formal) | úlcera oral, úlcera bucal nf + adj mf |
| | This cream is for treating mouth ulcers. |
| | Esta crema sirve para tratar las aftas. |
| | (AmC, CL, EC, MX: coloquial) | fuego nm |
| | (AR, PE: coloquial) | boquera nf |
| mouth-breather n | informal (person who breathes through mouth) | alguien que respira por la boca pron + loc adj |
| mouth-breather n | figurative, pejorative, informal (unintelligent person) | tarado, tarada nm, nf |
| | | imbécil n común |
| mouth-to-mouth n | informal (artificial respiration) | respiración boca a boca nf + loc adj |
| mouth-to-mouth resuscitation n | (artificial respiration) | respiración boca a boca nf + loc adj |
| | The lifeguard pulled the drowning boy out of the water and performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. |
| | El socorrista sacó al niño del agua y le hizo respiración boca a boca. |
| mouthwash n | (mouth-cleansing product) | enjuague bucal loc nom m |
| | Peter brushed his teeth and used mouthwash. |
| | Pedro se cepilló los dientes y usó enjuague bucal. |
mouthwatering,
also UK: mouth-watering adj | (appetizing) | que hace la boca agua loc adj |
| | | apetecible adj |
| | I can't control myself when I see a mouthwatering piece of cake. |
| | No puedo controlarme cuando veo una porción de torta que hace agua la boca. |
| nil by mouth expr | written (hospital sign) | en ayunas expr |
put your foot in your mouth,
also UK: put your foot in it v expr | figurative (make spoken blunder) (coloquial) | meter la pata loc verb |
| Put your money where your mouth is. expr | (prove [sth]) | probar⇒, demostrar⇒ vtr |
| | You think you can run faster than Tim? Put your money where your mouth is! |
| roof of the mouth n | (top of the mouth) | paladar nm |
| | The hot food burned the roof of his mouth. |
| | La comida caliente le quemó el paladar. |
| run off at the mouth v expr | informal (talk too much) (coloquial) | hablar por los codos loc verb |
| shoot your mouth off v expr | disapproving, informal (gossip) | hablar de más vi + loc adv |
| | Susan would never have found out about Carl's affair if you hadn't shot your mouth off. |
| Shut your mouth! interj | impolite, slang (stop talking) (coloquial) | ¡cierra el pico!, ¡cerrá el pico! loc interj |
| | | ¡ciérrate la boca!, ¡cerrá la boca! loc interj |
| | | ¡cierra el hocico!, ¡cerrá el hocico! loc interj |
| | I've heard enough of your insults - just shut your mouth! |
| | Ya he escuchado bastantes groserías, ¡cierra el pico! |
speak with your mouth full,
talk with your mouth full v expr | (talk while eating) | hablar con la boca llena loc verb |
take the words out of [sb]'s mouth,
take the words right out of [sb]'s mouth v expr | (say what [sb] else was going to say) (coloquial) | quitar las palabras de la boca loc verb |
| | | sacar las palabras de la boca loc verb |
| talk out of both sides of one's mouth v expr | figurative (say contradictory things) (contradecirse) | decir una cosa y a la vez la contraria, decir una cosa y también la otra loc verb |
| talk out of both sides of your mouth v expr | figurative (contradict yourself, be dishonest) | tener un doble discurso loc verb |
| trench mouth n | (serious infection of gums, throat) | angina de Vincent loc nom f |
| | | gingivitis ulcerativa, gingivitis ulcerosa loc nom f |
| word of mouth n | (personal recommendation) | el boca a boca loc nom m |
| | | de boca en boca loc adv |
| | He hoped that word of mouth would attract customers to his landscape business. |
| | Esperaba que su negocio como paisajista se promocionara por el boca a boca. |
| word-of-mouth n as adj | (by personal recommendation) | boca a boca loc adj |
| | | de boca en boca loc adj |
| | Word-of-mouth advertising is not always reliable. |
| | La publicidad boca a boca no siempre es confiable. |