How to say "badly" in Japanese

• つらく
  adverbCovers 'badly' in the sense of harshly, bitterly or cruelly, as when someone treats or speaks to another person badly. It carries a nuance of emotional pain and is less common.
• 散々さんざんCommon
  na-adjective, adverbThe common word for 'badly' meaning severely, harshly or miserably, as in being badly beaten, scolded or defeated, or having a thoroughly miserable time of it.
  彼女かのじょはさんざん私の事ことをののしった。↗

  She called me many terrible things.
• さんざっぱら
  na-adjective, adverbAn emphatic variant of 散々 with the same 'badly' sense of severely or miserably, but less common; learners will seldom need it and can usually use 散々 instead.
• さんざんぱら
  na-adjective, adverbA less common variant of 散々 with the same severely or miserably sense of 'badly', differing only slightly in sound; for most purposes 散々 is the word to reach for.

For 'badly' meaning severely or miserably, 散々 is the common choice; 「つらく」 covers harsh, bitter treatment, while 「さんざっぱら」 and 「さんざんぱら」 are less common emphatic variants of 散々.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• つらくharshly
• 散々さんざんseverely
• さんざっぱらseverely
• さんざんぱらseverely