まずい

ま

ず

い

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

まずい · i-adjective

Meanings

bad-tasting; unpalatable; awful

usually written using kana alone

Describes food or drink that tastes bad. Also used figuratively for an unpleasant situation.

usually written using kana alone

Refers to a lack of skill or poor quality in performance. Occasionally written as 拙い.

〈物もの〉がまずいfor food or drink to taste bad
この料りょう理りはまずい。
This dish tastes bad.
〈事こと〉がまずいto be poor or clumsy at something
彼かれの字じはまずい。
His handwriting is poor.
まずいことになるfor a situation to turn awkward or troublesome
このままだとまずいことになる。
If things go on like this, it'll turn into a bad situation.
〈事こと〉とまずいit would be bad/problematic if...
これがバレるとまずい。
It would be bad if this got found out.

拙つたない sense 2
拙い is a more formal and literary word for lack of skill, while まずい is the everyday word for the same idea.
気きまずいN2sense 4
気まずい specifically describes an uncomfortable, awkward atmosphere between people, a narrower use than まずい's general 'awkward situation' sense.
しまったN3
しまった expresses instant regret over a mistake just realized, whereas まずい as an exclamation flags that a situation looks bad or awkward, often before the outcome is final.
やばいN1
まずい describes a bad or awkward situation (or bad taste) in fairly plain language, while やばい is slangier and can also describe outright danger.

うまいN4sense 1
うまい means delicious or skillful, the direct opposite of まずい's meanings of bad-tasting or unskillful.
美うつくしいN4sense 3
美しい describes something beautiful, the opposite of まずい used to mean ugly or unattractive.
美味おいしいN5
美味しい means food tastes good, while まずい means it tastes bad or unpleasant.

貧まずしいN3
貧しい sounds similar to まずい and shares the same first syllables, but it means poor or impoverished, unrelated to taste or skill.

まずいUsage82%
gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun
Standard kana spelling; the word is usually written in kana.
マズイUsage7%
search-only kana form
不味まずいUsage7%
gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun
Kanji form using gikun reading; rarely used in practice.
マズいUsage4%
search-only kana form

The origin is uncertain. The kanji spelling 不味い is a gikun (meaning-based reading) and not etymological.