evil thought; malicious motive; spite
Refers to a wicked or malicious thought, often in a moral or psychological context. Not an everyday word; more common in literary or formal settings.
There was a malicious motive behind his actions.
Some religions teach that harboring evil thoughts is itself a sin.
Compound of 悪 (evil) and 念 (thought, feeling). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination transparently yields 'evil thought'.