まずい・不味いmazui[2]nakadaka (mid-high)

1. i-adjectivebad(-tasting); unpalatable; unsavoury; unsavory; awful; terrible; unpleasant
   すき腹はらにまずいものなし。↗

   Hunger is the best sauce.
2. i-adjectivepoor; unskillful; unskilful; bungling; clumsyocc. as 拙い
   彼かれの筆跡ひっせきは大変たいへんまずい。なにがなんだかわからない。↗

   His handwriting is very poor, I cannot make head or tail of it.
3. i-adjectiveugly; unattractive; homely; plain
4. i-adjectiveawkward; problematic; troublesome; unfavorable; unfavourable; unwise
   あ！まずい！ガソリンが切きれてきた。↗

   Oh, no! We're running out of gas.

• RelatedひどいCasualColloquial. Describes things that are extremely bad or cruel, as in 「ひどい雨」; it does not specifically refer to bad taste.
• Related悪いわるいNeutralNeutral. The most general word for 'bad', usable in almost any context; 「まずい」 is mostly for poor taste or a bad turn of events.
• RelatedへたくそCasualColloquial. Slams someone's skill as utterly hopeless, with an insulting edge; matches the 'unskillful' side of 「まずい」.
• Related最悪さいあくNeutralNeutral. The worst of the lot — the highest degree of badness, as in 「最悪の事態」; at home in both speech and writing.
• Related不快ふかいWrittenWritten/formal prose. Displeasure of mind or feeling unwell; you can also say 「不快な味」, but it is not tied to bad-tasting food.
• Related苦しいくるしいNeutralNeutral. About physical or mental suffering and hard circumstances; the emphasis is on how distressing something feels.
• Related粗末そまつWrittenWritten/formal prose. Crude workmanship, or careless treatment of something, as in 「粗末にする」.
• Related劣悪れつあくWrittenWritten/formal prose. Describes poor, inferior conditions or quality, typically environments, as in 「劣悪な労働環境」.
• Related粗悪そあくWrittenWritten/formal prose. Poor-quality goods, as in 「粗悪品」; the focus is squarely on product quality.
• Related忌まわしいいまわしいWrittenWritten/formal prose. Abhorrent and ill-omened, as in 「忌まわしい事件」.
• RelatedつらいNeutralNeutral. Painful or hard to endure, in body or mind, as in 「つらい別れ」 and 「体がつらい」.
• Related散々さんざんCasualColloquial. A miserable, wretched outcome, as in 「散々な目に遭う」; the point is how badly things end.
• Related厭わしいいとわしいWrittenWritten/formal prose. Something so disagreeable you want to keep away from it; the stress is on the feeling of aversion.
• RelatedむごいWrittenWritten/formal prose. Cruel and tragic, too dreadful to behold, as in 「むごい仕打ち」.
• RelatedこっぴどいCasualColloquial. Means thoroughly or severely, as in 「こっぴどく叱られる」; often used adverbially.
• AntonymうまいCasualColloquial. The direct opposite of 「まずい」: tasty food or skillful work; very common in speech.

Default to 「まずい」 for bad-tasting food or a bad turn of events. For 'bad' in general use 「悪い」; for extreme badness 「ひどい」 or 「最悪」; for shoddy quality 「粗悪」; for hopeless skill 「下手くそ」; and for good food or skill, 「うまい」.

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

1. 【不味まじい】味あじが好このみに合あわない。味あじが悪わるい。
2. 【拙つたない】 能力のうりょくが劣おとる。下手へたな。
3. 良よくない、好このましくない。都合つごうの悪わるい。