Explore Words Kanji Grammar Guides

Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

Get the Kotomora apps for iOS and Android.

Explore Words Kanji Grammar Guides About Support Privacy

Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

劣悪 (れつあく, retsuaku) Japanese meaning: poor | Kotomora

劣れつ悪あく

れ

つ

あ

く

Common word›Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

poor; bad; inferior; low-quality

Describes quality, conditions, environment, or treatment that is markedly bad or substandard. Often used in formal or critical contexts.

この地

ち

域いき

の

労ろう

働どう

環かん

境きょう

は

劣れつ

悪あく

だ

。

The working conditions in this region are poor.

劣れつ悪あくな製せい品ひんはすぐに壊こわれてしまう。

Poor-quality products break quickly.

Usage patterns

劣れつ悪あくな環かん境きょうa poor/substandard environment
その工こう場じょうは劣れつ悪あくな環かん境きょうで従じゅう業ぎょう員いんを働はたらかせていた。
The factory made its employees work in poor conditions.
劣れつ悪あくな待たい遇ぐうpoor treatment (of workers, etc.)
移い民みん労ろう働どう者しゃは劣れつ悪あくな待たい遇ぐうを受うけていることが多おおい。
劣れつ悪あくな条じょう件けんpoor/harsh conditions
彼かれらは劣れつ悪あくな条じょう件けんのもとで作さ業ぎょうを続つづけた。
They kept working under harsh conditions.
劣れつ悪あく化かするto worsen; to deteriorate (in quality)
経けい済ざいの悪あっ化かにより治ち安あんが劣れつ悪あく化かした。
Public safety deteriorated due to the worsening economy.

Kanji

劣inferiority, be inferior to, be worse
悪bad, vice, rascal

Related words

悪わるいN5
悪い is the all-purpose word for 'bad' usable for people, actions, or things, while 劣悪 is a formal term reserved for markedly substandard quality, conditions, or treatment.
粗そ悪あく
粗悪 stresses crude, shoddy workmanship or materials, whereas 劣悪 is broader and can describe any inferior state, including environments or conditions.
低てい劣れつ
低劣 often carries a moral or intellectual sense of baseness, while 劣悪 is used mainly for the objective quality of goods, conditions, or environments.
不ふ良りょうN1
劣悪 emphasizes extremely poor quality or conditions (e.g. 劣悪な環境), while 不良 is a more neutral, broader term for defectiveness or substandard state.

Opposites

良りょう好こうN1
良好 describes conditions or states as favorable and satisfactory, the direct opposite of 劣悪's markedly substandard sense.
優ゆう良りょう
優良 means excellent or superior quality, standing in direct contrast to 劣悪's meaning of poor or inferior quality.

Don't confuse with

卑ひ劣れつN1
卑劣 shares the kanji 劣 with 劣悪 but describes cowardly or mean-spirited behavior, not poor physical quality or conditions.
劣れっ等とう
劣悪 describes conditions or quality that are simply bad or poor (e.g. 劣悪な環境), whereas 劣等 specifically means inferior in rank or comparison to something else.

Etymology

Compound of 劣 (retsu, 'inferior') and 悪 (aku, 'bad'). The kanji combination directly conveys the meaning of something being inferior and bad.

Migrant workers are often subjected to poor treatment.