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tristo

wicked; gloomy

adjective TREES-toh Rare
Descriptions & Qualities Personality

Origin: Latin tristis (sad, gloomy)

Also means

wretched; miserable

Usage Note

Tristo is a near-false-friend with triste: while triste simply means 'sad,' tristo has an archaic or literary flavour meaning wicked, evil, or morally base ('un tristo individuo'). It also survives in regional speech for 'wretched' or 'sickly.' Using tristo where you mean merely 'sad' sounds old-fashioned or intentionally literary.

Examples

"Era un tristo personaggio della storia."

Natural Translation

He was a wicked character in the story.

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