不良(ふりょう)

ふりょう
noun, na-adjective
bad, defective; delinquent
1. bad, defective, faulty
Not meeting the required standard of quality or function. Used for products, conditions, health, and performance.
不良(ふりょう)品(ひん)を交換(こうかん)してもらった。
I had the defective product exchanged.
姿勢(しせい)が不良(ふりょう)だと腰痛(ようつう)の原因(げんいん)になる。
Bad posture can cause lower back pain.
寝不足(ねぶそく)で体調(たいちょう)不良(ふりょう)になった。
I became unwell due to lack of sleep.
2. delinquent, juvenile troublemaker
A young person who engages in antisocial or rebellious behavior. A cultural archetype in Japanese media, especially associated with the stereotypical rebel image of the 1980s and 1990s.
学校(がっこう)の前(まえ)に不良(ふりょう)がたむろしていた。
Delinquents were hanging around in front of the school.
若(わか)い頃(ころ)は不良(ふりょう)だったらしい。
Apparently, he was a delinquent when he was young.
不良(ふりょう)マンガのブームは1980年代(ねんだい)にピークを迎(むか)えた。
The boom in delinquent manga peaked in the 1980s.

不良(ふりょう) has two major uses.

Sense 1 (defective/bad) is common in formal and technical contexts:

  • 不良(ふりょう)品(ひん) (defective product)
  • 体調(たいちょう)不良(ふりょう) (poor health condition)
  • 接触(せっしょく)不良(ふりょう) (poor contact/loose connection)
  • 不良(ふりょう)債権(さいけん) (bad debt, non-performing loan)

Sense 2 (delinquent) refers to a cultural archetype:

  • 不良(ふりょう)少年(しょうねん)/少女(しょうじょ) (delinquent boy/girl)
  • The stereotypical image includes a modified school uniform, pompadour hairstyle, and motorcycle
  • This image is heavily featured in manga and anime genres like ヤンキー culture

Related Words

Antonym: 良好(りょうこう) (good condition)
Compare: 欠陥(けっかん) (defect, flaw, deficiency)
Compare: ごろつき (hooligan, thug, rogue)
general
Added 2026.2.16 7:43 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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