悪質

• Reading: あくしつ
• Romaji: akushitsu
• Kanji breakdown: 悪 (aku) — bad, evil; 質 (shitsu) — quality, nature
• Pronunciation: /a.kɯ.ɕi.tsɯ/

Meaning

Malicious; vicious; underhanded. Describes something bad in nature or quality.

A na-adjective and noun used to describe something harmful, dangerous, or morally wrong in character. Commonly modifies nouns like 犯罪 (crime), いたずら (prank), and 業者 (dealer/operator). In medical contexts, 悪質 can mean 'malignant' as in 悪質な腫瘍 (malignant tumour). Opposite of 良質 (ryōshitsu, high quality).

Examples

1. 悪質な詐欺の被害者が増えている。 The number of victims of malicious scams is on the rise.
2. その店は悪質な商法で行政指導を受けた。 That store received an administrative warning for underhanded business practices.
3. 悪質なウイルスがパソコンに感染した。 A vicious virus infected my computer.

Usage Guide

Context: news, law, technology, medicine

Tone: critical

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese 悪 (aku, bad/evil) + 質 (shitsu, quality/nature). Literally 'bad quality/nature,' describing something fundamentally harmful in character.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal