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hostia

interjection, nounVulgar

A Peninsular Spanish slang term. Browse all Spanish slang.

What it means

  1. Bloody hell; wow. An exclamation of surprise, often as ¡hostia! or ¡hostia puta!

  2. A blow or a hit: le dio una hostia, 'he thumped him'.

  3. Ser la hostia: to be outstanding, or outrageous, depending on tone.

Literally: Communion host.

Examples with translations

  • ¡Hostia, qué frío hace!

    Bloody hell, it's cold!

  • Se pegó una hostia con la bici.

    He came off his bike hard.

  • Ese grupo es la hostia en directo.

    That band is incredible live.

Where it comes from

Spanish profanity draws heavily on religious vocabulary — hostia, me cago en Dios, and so on — where English reaches for the body. The words retain real shock value for older and more religious speakers even as younger ones use them freely.