Translation guide
Expressing that a plan is bad, ill-conceived, or unlikely to succeed. Japanese offers several common adjectives and phrases depending on the nuance: unrealistic, poorly thought out, reckless, or simply bad.
General expression for a plan that is not good, not well considered, or likely to fail.
A straightforward and common way to say a plan is bad or poorly thought out. まずい means 'bad' or 'unwise' in this context.
I think that's a poor plan.
Implies the plan is clumsy or poorly executed. 下手 means 'unskillful' or 'poorly done'.
We failed because of his poor plan.
Literally 'bad plan'. Simple and direct, but slightly less natural than まずい計画 for abstract plans.
You should abandon a poor plan early.
A plan that is not grounded in reality, too idealistic, or impossible to carry out.
A plan that is risky, thoughtless, or likely to cause trouble.
A plan that has logical gaps, inconsistencies, or is not well organized.
The English word 'poor' can mean 'lacking money' or 'of low quality'. When describing a plan, use adjectives like まずい, 悪い, or 非現実的. Using 貧しい (まずしい, 'poor' as in poverty) for a plan is incorrect and sounds unnatural.
poor plan (incorrect, means 'impoverished plan')
まずい計画 is more natural for describing a plan that is unwise or likely to fail. 悪い計画 is grammatically correct but can sound slightly stiff or moralistic. In most everyday situations, まずい計画 is preferred.
That plan is just a pipe dream.
Formal term for an armchair theory or impractical plan that only works on paper. Literally 'empty theory on a desk'.
His proposal is nothing but an impractical plan.
His rash plan caused losses to the company.
A sloppy plan won't succeed.