chusma

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʃuz.mɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʃuz.mɐ/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ˈʃuʒ.mɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʃuz.ma/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈʃuʒ.mɐ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈʃuʒ.mɐ/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃuʒ.mɐ/

• Rhymes: -uzmɐ, -uʒmɐ
• Hyphenation: chus‧ma

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Italian ciurma, from Ligurian ciüsma, from Latin celeusma, from Ancient Greek κέλευσμα (kéleusma), from κελεύω (keleúō).

Noun

chusma f (plural chusmas)

1. crowd (large number of people)

   Synonym: multidão

2. heap (a large amount of things)

   Synonyms: montão, ror

3. mob (group of people who are part of what is considered the lowest class of society)

   Synonyms: populacho, ralé

4. chorus (set of voices of a choir)
5. (obsolete) crew (people working on board a vessel)

   Synonym: tripulação

Derived terms

verbs

• chusmar

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

chusma

1. inflection of chusmar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “chusma”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “chusma”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026
• “chusma”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃusma/ [ˈt͡ʃuz.ma]
• Rhymes: -usma
• Syllabification: chus‧ma

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Ligurian ciüsma (from which Italian ciurma and Portuguese chusma descend), from Latin celeusma, from Ancient Greek κέλευσμα (kéleusma, “rhythmic chant to exhort rowers in galleys”), from κελεύω (keleúō, “to order, to bid, to exhort”). Doublet of saloma.

Noun

chusma f (plural chusmas)

1. (collective) mob (rude or vulgar group of people)

   Synonym: populacho

2. (colloquial, offensive, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay) person with poor manners and vulgar behavior

Noun

chusma m or f (plural chusmas)

1. (colloquial, offensive, Cuba) person with poor manners and vulgar behavior

Etymology 2

From Spanish chisme.

Adjective

chusma m or f (masculine and feminine plural chusmas)

1. (colloquial, offensive, Rioplatense, Paraguay, Bolivia, Venezuela) gossipy

Noun

chusma f (plural chusmas)

1. (colloquial, offensive, Rioplatense, Paraguay, Bolivia, Venezuela) gossip (a person who gossips)

   Synonym: chismoso

Further reading

• “chusma”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025