furbo

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from French fourbe. Cognate with Piedmontese furb.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfur.bo/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -urbo
• Hyphenation: fùr‧bo

Adjective

furbo (feminine furba, masculine plural furbi, feminine plural furbe, superlative furbissimo, adverb furbamente)

1. astute, cunning, sly, wily, crafty (skillful and able in getting some advantage, often using some trick and against rules or other people's benefit)

   Synonym: astuto

Derived terms

• furberia
• furbesco
• furbizia

Noun

furbo m (plural furbi, feminine furba, diminutive furbetto, augmentative furbone, diminutive-augmentative furbacchione, pejorative furbastro)

1. smart individual with vicious and tricky intent.

Further reading

• furbo in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Spanish

Etymology

An Andalusian pronunciation spelling. Where the -r- (or -l-, in the form fulbo) comes from is unknown, although it could come from a metathesis of fútbol. It is also possible that fulbo is a dialectal (possibly Caribbean) pronunciation of furbo. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfuɾbo/ [ˈfuɾ.β̞o]
• Rhymes: -uɾbo
• Syllabification: fur‧bo

Noun

furbo m (uncountable)

1. (slang, humorous) football, soccer
   • 2025 October 18, “Una superestrella con cerebro y corazón”, in El País‎^[1], Madrid:

     Deben de tener éxito entre un público ágrafo o analfabeto, aquellos que en los viejos tiempos denominaban al fútbol como el furbo.

     They must be successful among an illiterate or uneducated audience, those who in the old days referred to soccer as “furbo”.

See also

• furbito (diminutive)