1.
malicious; vicious; ill-intentioned
Describes actions, behavior, or people that are deliberately harmful or deceptive.
悪質ないたずら。
A malicious prank.
悪質な詐欺に騙された。
I was tricked by a malicious scam.
悪質な嫌がらせが続いていて、警察に相談した。
The malicious harassment continued, so I consulted the police.
2.
poor quality; inferior; bad
Describes things of low or harmful quality, such as products, conditions, or substances.
悪質な道路状況。
Poor road conditions.
この土壌は悪質で作物が育たない。
The soil is of poor quality and crops won't grow.
悪質な商品を売りつける業者が問題になっている。
Sellers pushing poor-quality products have become a problem.
Describes something that is bad either in intention or in quality. When applied to people or actions, it implies deliberate malice; when applied to things or conditions, it means inferior or harmful quality.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 悪質な詐欺: malicious scam/fraud
- 悪質な業者: unscrupulous dealer
- 悪質な嫌がらせ: vicious harassment
- 悪質な違反: flagrant violation
- 悪質な腫瘍: malignant tumor
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 悪意: malice, ill will — refers to the intention itself, not the quality of an action
- 劣悪: inferior, poor — focuses on quality being extremely low
- 卑劣: despicable, underhanded — emphasizes moral contempt