Greek
10 Greek swear words you'll actually hear
A traveller's shortlist of Greek expletives, insults and exclamations — what they mean, and how strong they are.
Every language swears differently. This guide collects 10 Greek expressions you're genuinely likely to hear — from mild exclamations to properly strong stuff — and explains what each one actually means, not just its dictionary translation.
Burn Ratings are an approximate, cross-language heuristic. Context, region, tone and who's speaking all change how a word lands. Treat these as a guide, not gospel.
- 1μαλάκας 3/5 · Vulgar
malákas
Literally “wanker”. Insult for a jerk or fool; familiar address among some friends. Tone and relationship strongly affect force.
Full entry → - 2καβλαντίζω 2/5 · Coarse
kavlantízo
Slang verb for sexual teasing or flirting. Not necessarily a directed insult.
Full entry → - 3κλάνω 2/5 · Coarse
kláno
Literally “fart”. Coarse bodily verb. Not directed abuse by itself.
Full entry → - 4αρχίδια 3/5 · Vulgar
archídia
Literally “testicles”. Vulgar exclamation of disbelief or contempt: bollocks. Singular can be a personal insult.
Full entry → - 5γαμάτο 3/5 · Vulgar
gamáto
Vulgar approving adjective: awesome. Positive evaluation despite sexual root.
Full entry → - 6κουράδα 3/5 · Vulgar
kouráda
Literally “turd”. Vulgar bodily word and negative evaluation. Literal and figurative senses.
Full entry → - 7μαλακία 3/5 · Vulgar
malakía
Literally “masturbation”. Bullshit, nonsense or a foolish act. Literal sexual sense also exists.
Full entry → - 8γαμημένος 4/5 · Strong
gamiménos
Literally “fucked”. Vulgar insult or adjective: fucking, damned. Gender and case forms belong to this entry.
Full entry → - 9γαμήσι 4/5 · Strong
gamísi
Literally “fucking”. Vulgar noun for sexual intercourse. Not neutral clinical terminology.
Full entry → - 10γαμιέσαι 4/5 · Strong
gamiésai
Literally “you are fucked”. Hostile expression comparable to fuck you. May be literal in sexual context.
Full entry →