expression, i-adjective
ill-natured; mean-spirited; malicious
Describes a person's character or disposition as fundamentally unpleasant, spiteful, or wicked. Often used in casual criticism.
彼は性の悪い冗談ばかり言う。
He only tells mean-spirited jokes.
あの子は性の悪い噂を流
That kid spreads malicious rumors.
expression, i-adjective
Used for objects, goods, or workmanship that is of low quality or poorly made. Less common than the character sense.
この店の商品は性の悪いものばかりだ。
The products in this shop are all of poor quality.
意地悪い focuses on being deliberately unkind or mean in a specific situation, while 性の悪い describes a person's inherent nasty character.
質が悪い is more common for describing poor quality of things or a person's bad nature, and can be used in more formal contexts.
A fixed phrase composed of 性 (しょう, 'nature, disposition') + の (possessive particle) + 悪い (わるい, 'bad'). The reading しょう for 性 is a standard on'yomi used in many compounds related to character or quality.