悪あく意い

あ

く

い

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

ill will; malice; spite

General term for hostile intent or desire to harm someone. Used in everyday and formal contexts.

彼かれの言こと葉ばには悪あく意いが感かんじられた。
I sensed ill will in his words.
悪あく意いのある噂うわさを流ながすのはやめてください。
Please stop spreading malicious rumors.

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

bad meaning; negative connotation

Refers to interpreting something in a negative or unfavorable way. Often used in contrast with 善意 (good meaning).

その発はつ言げんは悪あく意いに取とられかねない。
That remark could be taken in a bad way.

noun

bad faith; malice (law)

law

Legal term for intentional wrongdoing or deceit. Sense 3 (mala fides/criminal intent to deceive) and sense 4 (malice) are closely related in legal usage and merged here.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉に悪あく意いを持もつto harbor ill will toward someone
彼かれは特とくに彼かの女じょに悪あく意いを持もっているわけではない。
He doesn't particularly bear her any ill will.
〈事こと〉を悪あく意いに解かい釈しゃくするto interpret something in a malicious or negative light
彼かの女じょはいつも人ひとの言こと葉ばを悪あく意いに解かい釈しゃくする。
She always interprets what people say in a negative way.
悪あく意いの第だい三さん者しゃa third party acting in bad faith (legal term)
悪あく意いの第だい三さん者しゃは法ほう律りつ上じょうの保ほ護ごを受うけられない場ば合あいがある。
A third party acting in bad faith may not receive legal protection.
悪あく意いはないto have no malicious intent
冗じょう談だんで言いっただけで、悪あく意いはなかった。
I only said it as a joke; I meant no harm.
〈人ひと〉から悪あく意いを感かんじるto sense malice coming from someone
そのメールの文ぶん面めんから悪あく意いを感かんじた。
I sensed malice from the wording of that email.

Kanji

悪bad, vice, rascal
意idea, mind, heart

Related words· 7

敵てき意い sense 1
敵意 refers to overt hostility or animosity toward someone, whereas 悪意 more broadly covers hidden malice or intent to harm, including in legal contexts.
害がい意い sense 1
害意 specifically means intent to harm and is rarer and more formal, while 悪意 is the general everyday and legal term for ill will.
恨うらみN2sense 1
恨み is a grudge or resentment stemming from a past wrong, while 悪意 is the active intent to harm or deceive someone, regardless of cause.
悪あく質しつN1
悪意 is a noun meaning 'malice' or 'ill will' focusing on intent, while 悪質 is an adjective describing an act, method, or thing as malicious.

Show 3 more

悪わる気ぎN1
悪意 is a more formal and legalistic term for malice or bad faith, while 悪気 is more colloquial and often used in everyday apologies or explanations.
他た意いN1
悪意 specifically means malice or ill will, whereas 他意 is broader and can denote any hidden motive, not necessarily malicious.
毒どくN3
悪意 names the malicious intent directly, while 毒 describes the venomous, biting quality that shows up in words or attitude.

Opposites

善ぜん意いN1
悪意 means ill will or malicious intent, while 善意 means good faith or good intentions, its direct opposite in both everyday and legal contexts.
好こう意いN1
悪意 is malicious intent or ill will, the direct opposite of the kind, favorable feeling expressed by 好意.

Don't confuse with

悪わる気ぎN1sense 1
悪気 is a casual word for ill intent often used in the negative phrase 悪気はない (I didn't mean any harm), while 悪意 is more formal and used in legal or written contexts.
殺さつ意い
悪意 means general malice or ill will toward someone, whereas 殺意 is the specific, conscious intent to kill.
悪あくN2
悪 refers to abstract moral evil or wickedness, while 悪意 specifically means malicious intent behind a particular act.
故こ意いN1
悪意 specifically means malice or ill will, whereas 故意 only means the act was done knowingly and does not require hatred or bad intent toward anyone.

Word family

悪あく意い占せん有ゆう
mala fide possession; possession in bad faith

Etymology

Compound of 悪 (aku, 'bad, evil') and 意 (i, 'mind, intention'). The reading is on'yomi.