tener morbo
to have a morbid fascination / to be attracted to the taboo or forbidden
Pronunciation
/teˈneɾ ˈmoɾ.bo/
Cultural Note
'Morbo' doesn't translate neatly to English. It's the guilty pleasure of rubbernecking at a car crash, the thrill of the forbidden, the dark fascination with things that are wrong but irresistible. 'Da morbo' means something is attractively transgressive. In Spain, it often has sexual undertones — something that 'da morbo' is excitingly taboo. Reality TV, gossip shows, tabloid scandals — all run on 'morbo.' It's also used for food: eating something outrageously unhealthy 'da morbo.' The concept reveals something deep about human nature that English just doesn't have a neat word for.
📝 Example Sentences
Esa serie tiene mucho morbo, por eso la ve tanta gente.
That show has a lot of morbid appeal, that's why so many people watch it.
Le da morbo lo prohibido, siempre ha sido así.
Forbidden things turn him on, he's always been like that.