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悪遊び (わるあそび, waruasobi) Japanese meaning: prank | Kotomora

悪わる遊あそび

わ

る

あ

そ

び

Meanings

1

prank; mischief; evil pleasures; gambling

Covers playful mischief, pranks, and more serious vices like gambling or debauchery. The context determines the severity.

子こ供どもたちの悪わる遊あそびで窓まどガラスが割

Kanji

悪bad, vice, rascal
遊play

Related words

いたずら
いたずら is a more common and lighter word for pranks or mischief, while 悪遊び can imply a wider range from playful tricks to serious vices.
ギャンブル
ギャンブル is the standard loanword for gambling, whereas 悪遊び is a broader, more traditional term that includes gambling among other vices.

Built from

わ

れ

た

。

The windowpane was broken by the children's prank.

彼かれは若わかい頃ころ、悪わる遊あそびで身みを持もち崩くずした。

In his youth, he ruined himself through evil pleasures.

悪わる

Etymology

Compound of 悪 (わる, 'bad, evil') and 遊び (あそび, 'play, amusement'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used to describe both mischievous play and morally questionable pastimes.