Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 邪悪 | jaaku | [d͡ʑa̠a̠kɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 意地悪い | ijiwarui |
In Japanese, the choice of word depends on the scale of the wickedness. 邪悪 is used to describe profound, absolute evil or malevolence, often appearing in literary, religious or fantasy contexts to describe things like an 'evil force' or an 'evil deity'. In contrast, 意地悪い is used to describe someone being mean-spirited, unkind or petty in a personal way. Additionally, if you want to use 'wicked' as slang to mean 'cool', you can use the slang term やばい.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 意地悪い is composed of 意地, meaning temper or disposition and 悪い, meaning bad.
Which one should you use?
邪悪 is used for deep, absolute evil, while 意地悪い is used for being mean-spirited or unkind in a personal or petty way.
How does it change in a sentence?
意地悪い is an i-adjective, which means it can be used to directly modify a noun, such as 意地悪い人 (a mean person).
How do you pronounce it?
jaaku
Did you know?
- The slang term やばい, used for 'wicked' or 'cool', originally meant 'dangerous' or 'risky' and was used by criminals to describe a situation where they might be caught by the police.
- If you want to call someone 'wicked' in a flirtatious or charming way, you might use the term 小悪魔 (koakuma). This literally translates to 'little devil' and describes someone who uses their mischievous charm to tease others.
- While 意地悪い means 'wicked' or 'mean', the word 意地 can also be used positively in the phrase 意地がある to describe someone with a strong will.
Examples in context
- 彼の行為は邪悪なものだと言われている。His actions are said to be wicked.
- このゲームはやばいね！This game is wicked / cool, right?
- 彼は邪悪な計画を立てている。Kare wa jaiaku na keikaku o tatete iru.He is making an evil plan.
- その物語には邪悪な魔女が登場する。Sono monogatari ni wa jaiaku na majo ga toujou suru.An evil witch appears in that story.
- 邪悪な力に打ち勝つ必要がある。Jaiaku na chikara ni uchikatsu hitsuyou ga aru.It is necessary to overcome evil power.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a movie villain.
- 結衣 Yuiあの悪役は本当に邪悪だね。Ano akuyaku wa hontou ni jaiaku da ne.That villain is truly wicked.
- 蓮 Renうん、結衣の言う通り、恐ろしいよ。Un, Yui no iu toori, osoroshii yo.Yeah, just as you say, Yui, he is terrifying.
- 結衣 Yui蓮はあんなキャラクター、好き？Ren wa anna kyarakutaa, suki?Ren, do you like that kind of character?
- 蓮 Renいや、全然好きじゃないよ。Iya, zenzen suki janai yo.No, I don't like them at all.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wicked” translations and entries 邪悪, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
