na-adjective, noun
skilled but shoddy; technically proficient but lacking refinement
Describes a performance, work, or skill that is technically competent but lacks taste, style, or polish. Often used critically in arts, crafts, or sports.
彼の演奏は悪達者で、技術はあるけど心に響かない。
His performance is technically skilled but shoddy; it has technique but doesn't move the heart.
あの職人の作品は悪達者で、細かいけど品がない
That craftsman's work is skilled but lacks refinement; it's detailed but lacks elegance.
noun
skilled but tasteless person; person with technical skill but no refinement
Refers to a person who has technical ability but is considered crude, lacking in taste, or artistically shallow. Often used in contexts like music, art, or craftsmanship.
彼は悪達者で、どんな曲も弾けるけど、どれも味気ない。
He is a skilled but tasteless performer; he can play any piece, but all of them feel bland.
下手の横好き refers to someone who loves doing something despite being bad at it, whereas 悪達者 implies actual skill that is undermined by aesthetic flaws.
Compound of 悪 (わる, 'bad') and 達者 (たっしゃ, 'skilled, proficient'), with the reading たっしゃ voiced to だっしゃ due to rendaku. The word literally means 'badly skilled,' capturing the paradox of technical ability without artistic merit.