Describes a person or behavior that is shrewd in a negative, manipulative way. Often implies using cleverness to deceive or gain an advantage.
He outwitted his opponent with a cunning trick.
That politician is sly and rarely shows his true intentions.
狡猾 is a more formal, literary word for cunning, while ずる賢い is the everyday spoken equivalent.
狡猾 describes slyness or cunning without necessarily implying moral evil, whereas 奸 combines cunning with wickedness.
狡猾 is a formal, written term for cunning used in serious contexts like politics or crime, whereas 悪賢い is the everyday spoken equivalent.
Standard kanji spelling.
Rarely used kanji form; 黠 is not a jōyō kanji.
From Chinese 狡猾 (jiǎohuá). The kanji 狡 means 'cunning' or 'sly', and 猾 means 'crafty' or 'slippery'. The combination reinforces the idea of deceitful cleverness.