expression, godan verb (-ku)
be inclined to evil; tend toward wrongdoing
Literary or formal expression describing a person's disposition or moral leaning toward evil. Not common in everyday speech.
彼は生まれつき悪に傾く性質だった。
He had a nature that was inclined to evil from birth.
悪に染まる means 'to be stained by evil' or 'to fall into evil ways,' emphasizing the result of being corrupted, while 悪に傾く focuses on the inherent tendency or inclination toward evil.
Compound of 悪 (evil) + に (directional particle) + 傾く (to lean, incline). The phrase follows a classical pattern of expressing moral inclination.