Describes a person or action that is cunning and morally bad, often with a sense of sharpness or cleverness used for evil purposes.
He cornered the rival company with crafty tactics.
あの政治家の悪辣なやり方には呆れる。
I am disgusted by that politician's unscrupulous methods.
悪辣 describes cunning, underhanded wickedness (e.g. schemes), while 極悪 describes outright, extreme evil.
Standard kanji spelling.
Search-only form; not a standard spelling.
Compound of 悪 (bad, evil) and 辣 (bitter, severe). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination conveys a sense of sharp, ruthless cunning.