160+ Advanced Spanish Vocabulary Words to Help You to Fluency

Advanced Spanish vocabulary is composed of words you don’t use every day. But they’re highly specific words that make you sound super fluent.

They’re often obscure or technical, but necessary to be exact. You have to put forth a bit more effort to learn them.

But it’s worth it, because after learning these words, you’ll grow your vocabulary enormously and expand the scope of your Spanish knowledge.

You’ll improve your comprehension and be able to describe things in greater detail.

Now, onto the vocabulary!

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Herramientas — Tools

Now, I like to think that I know my way around a toolbox, but when my husband told me I had to assemble the cute, new coffee table…well, all of a sudden a drill was a complicated device. I couldn’t even imagine going into a hardware store and navigating all those options in Spanish!

Here are some tools that’ll help you next time you want to start a home improvement project.

• Bricolaje — Do it yourself, DIY
• Mazo — Mallet
• Martillo — Hammer
• Destornillador — Screwdriver
• Palanca — Lever
• Clavo — Nail
• Alicates — Pliers
• Llave inglesa — Wrench
• Papel de lija — Sandpaper
• Taladro — Drill
• Formón — Chisel
• Ferretería — Hardware Store
• Abrazadera — Clamp
• Regla — Ruler
• Alambre — Wire

Animales — Animals

My daughter and I go to the zoo every now and then and I have to do something to entertain myself as she runs around. I started looking at the animals differently thinking of how I would describe them.

I knew the words for “pig” and “tiger,” but did I know the words for snout and paw? Now I do!

• Colmillos — Fangs
• Hocico — Snout
• Pata — Paw
• Rugido — Roar
• Garra — Claw
• Bigotes — Whiskers
• Piel — Fur
• Plumas — Feathers
• Pezuñas — Hooves
• Branquias — Gills
• Nutria — Otter
• Pico — Beak
• Alas — Wings
• Escamas — Scales
• Cuernos — Horns

To learn over 100 more animals in Spanish, read this:

Partes del Cuerpo — Body Parts

Some of the first things you learn to name in Spanish are the basic body parts: eyes, ears, mouth, nose, etc. But can you really describe all of your body as easily in Spanish as you can in English?

• Pestañas — Eyelashes
• Cejas — Eyebrows
• Fosas Nasales — Nostrils
• Entrañas — Guts
• Vena — Vein
• Uña — Fingernail
• Cutícula — Cuticle
• Poros — Pores
• Pantorrilla — Calf
• Muslo — Thigh
• Hueso — Bone
• Pulgar — Thumb
• Mejilla — Cheek
• Rótula — Kneecap
• Talón — Heel

To learn even more body parts in Spanish, check out this post:

Al Aire Libre — Outdoors

I really love spending time outdoors. Camping and boating are a lot of fun—well, anything outside is a lot of fun. But when I go camping I’m usually with my English-speaking family and don’t have to speak Spanish, so I found that this was an area in which my vocabulary was seriously suffering. Let’s look beyond “tree” and “flower” and really dig into some words that’ll help you on your next camp out.

• Fogata — Campfire
• Charca — Puddle
• Brújula — Compass
• Leño — Log
• Remo — Oar
• Soga — Rope
• Cantimplora — Water bottle
• Tienda de Campaña — Tent
• Carnada — Bait
• Botiquín — First-aid Kit
• Caminata — Hiking
• Caza — Hunting
• Acampar — Camping
• Asar — To grill
• Gafas de sol — Sunglasses

Now you’re all set for fun in the sun! Don’t forget to pack the sunblock and the mosquito repellent.

Oficina — Office

Oh, the office. There are so many different objects that are in the common office. Surprisingly, you may not have already covered these in your Spanish practice. These little odds and ends just always seem to slip through the cracks. Let’s learn the words for some of these objects.

• Tarjeta de negocios — Business card
• Teclado — Keyboard
• Carpetas — Folders
• Archivador — Filing cabinet
• Sobre — Envelope
• Pegamento — Glue
• Estuche — Pencil case
• Grapadora — Stapler
• Estantería — Bookshelf
• Bandita Elástica — Rubberband
• Pila — Battery
• Sujetapapeles — Paperclip
• Carta — Letter
• Cinta Adhesiva — Tape
• Resaltador — Highlighter

Next time you need a break from answering phones or filing papers, take some time to learn the words of other office supplies.

Jardín — Garden

Gardens are always fun and relaxing. It’s amazing to see something grow from a little seed into an amazingly delicious tomato or watermelon. A little bit of dirt under your fingernails and a little bit of sunshine on your face is good for the soul. Here are some words that’ll help you connect with nature out in the garden.

• Canasta — Basket
• Tijeras de podar — Clippers
• Manguera — Hose
• Maceta — Pot
• Pala — Shovel
• Pala de punta — Spade
• Aspersor — Sprinklers
• Regadera — Watering can
• Cosechar — Harvest
• Abono — Mulch
• Huerta — Orchard
• Espantapájaros — Scarecrow
• Semilla — Seed
• Malezas — Weeds
• Marchitado — Wilted

Next time you are at the nursery looking for gardening tools, this list will help you. Something I didn’t include, but that you should check out, are words of plants and flowers. Plus now you have new words to add to your ever expanding Spanish vocabulary!

Verbos — Verbs

Verbs are my favorite words because they describe movement. Here’s a cool selection of advanced Spanish verbs I’ve picked up lately.

• Puntear — to pluck
• Revelar (contar) — to reveal something
• Imitar — to mimic someone
• Aplazar — postpone
• Evadirse — to disconnect
• Desmayarse — to faint
• Hallar — to discover/uncover
• Estrenar — to premiere (movies/sitcoms)
• Repeler — to repel
• Asfixiar — to choke
• Sisear — To hiss
• Silbar — To whistle
• Fanfarronear — To brag

For a lot more advanced Spanish verbs, check out this post:

Emociones — Emotions

From feeling ecstatic to feeling down in the dumps, there’s a Spanish word for every emotion it seems.

• Melancolía — Melancholy
• Euforia — Euphoria
• Resignación — Resignation
• Perplejidad — Perplexity
• Arrobo — Rapture
• Júbilo — Jubilation
• Conmoción — Commotion
• Zozobra — Unease
• Ímpetu — Impulsive
• Desasosiego — Restlessness
• Nervioso / Nerviosa — Nervous
• Orgulloso / Orgulloasa — Proud
• Avergonzado / Avergonzada — Embarrassed

To learn more Spanish feelings and emotions, check out this post:

Adjectivos — Adjectives

After verbs, adjectives are my favorite class of words because they’re just so specific. Here are some of my favorite advanced Spanish adjectives.

• Inefable — Ineffable
• Efímero /Efímera — Ephemeral
• Irreverente — Irreverent
• Procrastinador /Procrastinadora — Procrastinator
• Efervescente — Effervescent
• Ubérrimo / Ubérrima — Luxuriant/Abundant
• Acróbata — Acrobat
• Oblicuo / Oblicua — Oblique
• Voraz — Voracious
• Ambivalente — Ambivalent

To learn more advanced Spanish adjectives, click over to this post:

Política — Politics

If you follow politics, you know that they use some pretty advanced vocabulary. Here are some good ones.

• Demagogia — Demagogy
• Oligarquía — Oligarchy
• Autocracia — Autocracy
• Totalitarismo — Totalitarianism
• Plutocracia — Plutocracy
• Teocracia — Theocracy
• Anarquía — Anarchy
• Federalismo — Federalism
• Nacionalismo — Nationalism

Otras Palabras — Other Words

As I was putting together this post, I came across a few other words that don’t really fit well into a single category. Here are a few other words that could be handy to have lying around in your brain. Several of these are verbs, which is nothing but good. 

• Semejante — Similar
• Dispuesto / Dispuesta — Willing
• Huelga — Strike
• Tasa — Rate
• Personaje — Character
• Elenco — Cast (of a play, movie, etc.)
• Fondo — Background
• Apenas — Barely
• Ojalá — Hopefully
• Propósito — Purpose
• Bulto — Bulge
• Filosa — Sharp
• De puntillas — On tippy toes
• Reojo — Peripheral vision
• Mechón de cabello — Lock of hair
• Pendiente — Slope/incline
• Otrora — In olden days
• En aras de — For the sake of
• Alcurnia — Lineage
• Escarnio — Mocking
• Farsa — Farce
• Vestuario — Costume

See, isn’t vocabulary so much fun?

Before you know it, all of your existing Spanish boxes will be totally full and spilling over—but never stop looking for new words to learn. There’s always more vocabulary to add to your already expanding Spanish knowledge. Don’t get discouraged or overwhelmed, just take it one word at a time.

Now that you’ve seen the advanced Spanish vocabulary that I’ve found most useful, go out and create your own lists!

Go to a store and walk around. I recommend somewhere huge like Wal-Mart. As you walk up and down the aisles, try to name absolutely everything you see in Spanish. If you don’t know the word, write it down on a pad.

When you get home, look it up and write it down next to the English word, or plug it into your vocabulary lists on the FluentU language learning program.

Your vocabulary skills will start to explode!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)