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.

悪徳 (あくとく) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

悪あく徳とく

あ

く

と

く

Common word›Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

vice; immorality; corruption

Refers to moral corruption, unethical conduct, or systemic dishonesty, often in business, politics, or personal character.

政せい治じ家かの悪あく

徳とく

が

次つぎ

々つぎ

と

明あか

るみ

に

出で

た

。

The politicians' corruption came to light one after another.

彼かれは悪あく徳とくの限かぎりを尽つくした。

He committed every imaginable vice.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉が悪あく徳とくに手てを染そめるfor someone to get involved in corrupt or vicious practices
彼かれはついに悪あく徳とくに手てを染そめてしまった。
He finally got drawn into corrupt dealings.
悪あく徳とくの限かぎりを尽つくすto commit every kind of vice or corruption imaginable
その一いち族ぞくは悪あく徳とくの限かぎりを尽つくして財ざいを成なした。
That family built its fortune by committing every kind of vice imaginable.

Kanji

悪bad, vice, rascal
徳benevolence, virtue, goodness

Related words· 6

不ふ道どう徳とく
不道徳 describes the quality of being immoral or unethical in general, while 悪徳 more often points to vicious, corrupt behavior in a social or institutional setting.
汚お職しょくN1
汚職 specifically means bribery or graft by officials, whereas 悪徳 covers moral corruption more broadly, including in business or personal conduct.
腐ふ敗はいN1
腐敗 emphasizes the gradual decay or rot of morals within a system or organization, while 悪徳 names the corrupt vice itself.
不ふ徳とく
悪徳 emphasizes active wrongdoing or corruption, whereas 不徳 refers to the mere absence or deficiency of virtue.

Show 2 more

悪あく質しつN1
悪徳 emphasizes corrupt, immoral character (as in 悪徳商法), while 悪質 more neutrally describes how harmful or underhanded an act or method is.
背はい徳とく
悪徳 describes vice or corrupt conduct as a trait or practice, whereas 背徳 emphasizes the act of betraying moral standards.

Opposites

美び徳とく
美徳 means virtue or a admirable moral quality, the direct opposite of the corruption or vice named by 悪徳.
徳とく
悪徳 means vice or corruption, the direct opposite of 徳's moral goodness.

Don't confuse with

悪あく質しつN1
悪質 is an adjectival noun describing something malicious or of bad quality (e.g. 悪質な業者), while 悪徳 is a noun naming corruption or vice itself and is often used to modify a person's role (悪徳弁護士).

Word family

悪あく徳とく商しょう法ほう
unscrupulous business practices; fraudulent business practices
悪あく徳とくサイト
fraudulent website; scam site
悪あく徳とく弁べん護ご士し
unscrupulous lawyer; shyster; crooked lawyer

Etymology

Compound of 悪 (aku, 'bad, evil') and 徳 (toku, 'virtue, morality'), literally meaning 'bad virtue' or 'immorality'.

悪あく徳とく政せい治じ家か

corrupt politician