1.
malice; ill will; spite
A feeling of wanting to cause harm or trouble for someone; hostile intent.
悪意はなかった。
There was no ill will.
悪意のある書き込みは削除される。
Malicious posts will be deleted.
彼女の言葉には悪意が込められていると感じた。
I felt that her words were filled with malice.
2.
bad faith (legal)
In legal contexts, knowledge that one's action is wrongful or that a claim is unfounded.
悪意の第三者には対抗できる。
One can assert rights against a third party acting in bad faith.
買主が悪意であった場合、契約は取り消せる。
If the buyer acted in bad faith, the contract can be rescinded.
悪意で取得した財産は保護されない。
Property acquired in bad faith is not protected.
The antonym is 善意 (good will; good faith). In everyday use, sense 1 is far more common. Sense 2 is a specific legal term where 悪意 means "with knowledge" (that something is wrong), contrasting with 善意 (without knowledge).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 悪意がある: to have ill will
- 悪意のある: malicious (as modifier)
- 悪意に満ちた: full of malice
- 悪意を持つ: to harbor ill will
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 敵意: hostility — stronger, implies open antagonism
- 害意: intent to harm — more specific about causing damage
- 悪気: malicious intent — more colloquial, often used in 悪気はない (meant no harm)
Related Words
Antonym:
善意