凶悪・兇悪|きょうあくkyouaku[0]heiban (flat)

1. na-adjective, nounatrocious; heinous; fiendish; brutal; vicious
   最近さいきんの凶悪きょうあく事件じけんをニュースで見みるたび、バーチャルな世界せかいと生いきる世界せかいの区別くべつがなくなった若者わかものが急増きゅうぞうしていることに気付きづかされる。↗

   These days when I hear about these horrible incidents on the news I get the feeling that more and more young people are losing their ability to distinguish between real and virtual worlds.

• Synonym極悪ごくあくNeutralEven stronger than 「凶悪」: utterly wicked, beyond redemption. Usually in 「極悪非道」 or 「極悪人」.
• Synonym邪悪じゃあくNeutralEvil in the moral or religious sense — a corrupt heart rather than violent cruelty, as in 「邪悪な心」.
• Synonym残忍ざんにんNeutralCold-blooded and unsparing toward people or animals, as in 「残忍な手口」; 「凶悪」 stresses a vicious nature ready to harm.
• Synonym凶暴きょうぼうNeutralFerocious and violent in temperament — savage, as in 「凶暴な犬」; wild aggression rather than criminal evil.
• Synonym非道ひどうWrittenWritten style. Inhuman, against all decency; mostly in the set phrase 「極悪非道」.
• Synonym残酷ざんこくNeutralWidely used: cruel and merciless, also for harsh realities as in 「残酷な現実」; 「凶悪」 is about vicious people or crimes.
• Synonym残虐ざんぎゃくWrittenWritten style. Brutally cruel treatment of people or animals, as in 「残虐な行為」; stresses how savage the act is.
• Synonym無残むざんNeutralStresses a gruesome, tragic outcome — a horrifying result rather than the perpetrator's nature.
• SynonymひどいNeutralSame word as the 「惨い」 above, also written 「酷い」: stresses cruelty or a horrifying scene, not a person's vicious nature.
• Synonym暴虐ぼうぎゃくWrittenWritten style. Tyranny and atrocity, typically of oppressive rulers abusing their people.
• SynonymむごいNeutralNative word: cruel or too horrible to watch — a cold-blooded act or ghastly scene; 「凶悪」 is about a person's vicious nature.
• Synonym非人道的ひじんどうてきWrittenWritten style. Inhumane, violating human dignity, as in 「非人道的な兵器」.
• Synonym悪逆あくぎゃくWrittenWritten and archaic: grave evil defying moral and family order, such as killing one's parents; mostly in historical texts.
• SynonymむごたらしいNeutralAppallingly cruel or gory; stresses a scene so gruesome it sickens you.
• Related悪質あくしつNeutralMalicious or nasty in nature, as in 「悪質な詐欺」; also means shoddy quality. 「凶悪」 stresses ferocity.
• Related無情むじょうNeutralHeartless, lacking sympathy; can also describe lifeless, insentient things.
• Related邪よこしまWrittenWritten, old-fashioned native word for a wicked, crooked mind, as in 「邪な考え」.
• Related悪辣あくらつWrittenWritten style. Crafty and vicious in method — underhanded rather than ferocious, as in 「悪辣な手口」.
• Related無慈悲むじひNeutralMerciless and pitiless; stresses lack of compassion and need not involve crime.
• RelatedあくどいCasualColloquial. Vicious or underhanded in method; also gaudy colors or overly rich flavors.
• Related血なまぐさいちなまぐさいNeutralBloody and violence-soaked, as in 「血なまぐさい事件」; describes gory events, not a person's character.
• Antonym善良ぜんりょうNeutralAntonym: good-natured and honest in character, as in 「善良な市民」 — the opposite of 「凶悪」 in personal character.
• Antonym温和おんわNeutralAntonym: mild and gentle in temperament, as in 「温和な性格」 — the opposite of the ferocity implied by 「凶悪」.

Use 「凶悪」 for vicious criminals and crimes — 「凶悪犯」, 「凶悪事件」. For wickedness beyond redemption, say 「極悪」; for a violent, savage temperament, 「凶暴」; for crafty, underhanded methods, 「悪辣」. Words like 「残忍」「残酷」「惨い」 stress cruelty of acts or scenes, 「邪悪」 moral evil, 「血なまぐさい」 gore. The opposites are 「善良」 in character and 「温和」 in temperament.

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

1. 性格せいかくが悪わるく、殺傷さっしょうを平気へいきで起おこす有様ありさま。