悪玉(あくだま)

あくだま
noun
bad guy; villain; bad bacteria
personhealth
1. bad guy; villain; the bad party
A villain or wrongdoer, contrasted with a hero. Also used for whoever or whatever is cast as the cause of a problem.
悪玉(あくだま)が捕(つか)まる。
The bad guy gets caught.
ドラマでは彼(かれ)がいつも悪玉(あくだま)役(やく)だ。
In dramas he always plays the villain.
一人(ひとり)を悪玉(あくだま)にして済(す)ませるのは公平(こうへい)ではない。
It is not fair to settle things by making one person the villain.
2. bad bacteria; harmful microbe
In health and nutrition, bacteria that harm the body, especially in the gut. Usually said as 悪玉菌.
悪玉菌(あくだまきん)が増(ふ)える。
Bad bacteria increase.
脂(あぶら)っこい食事(しょくじ)は悪玉(あくだま)コレステロールを増(ふ)やす。
Fatty meals increase bad cholesterol.
腸内(ちょうない)で悪玉菌(あくだまきん)が優勢(ゆうせい)になると、体調(たいちょう)を崩(くず)しやすくなる。
When bad bacteria dominate the gut, you become more prone to feeling unwell.

Compound of 悪(あく) (bad, evil) + 玉(だま) (ball; figuratively a person or thing). The opposite is 善玉(ぜんだま).

Common collocations

  • 悪玉(あくだま)役(やく): villain role
  • 悪玉菌(あくだまきん): bad (harmful) bacteria
  • 悪玉(あくだま)コレステロール: LDL ('bad') cholesterol

Usage

  • Sense 1 has a storybook, melodrama flavor.
  • Sense 2 (悪玉菌, 悪玉コレステロール) is common in everyday health talk.
general
Added 2026.5.23 12:06 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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