極道・獄道|ごくどうgokudou[2]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Which spelling to use
極道Use 極道 when writing this word; it is the more common form and the recommended choice for beginners.
獄道獄道 is rarely used, so you will seldom encounter it in writing. Recognize it as a variant, but use 極道 instead.
Definitions
- na-adjective, nounwicked; evil; profligate; immoral
- nounwastrel; scoundrel; villain
- nounorganized crime; yakuza; underworld
Conjugation
| Plain form | 極道（ごくどう） |
|---|---|
| Polite (desu) | 極道です（ごくどうです） |
| Negative (dewa nai) | 極道ではない（ごくどうではない） |
| polite (dewa arimasen) | 極道ではありません（ごくどうではありません） |
| Past (datta) | 極道だった（ごくどうだった） |
| Past negative (dewa nakatta) | 極道ではなかった（ごくどうではなかった） |
| Te form (de) | 極道で（ごくどうで） |
| Adverbial (ni) | 極道に（ごくどうに） |
| Conditional (nara) | 極道なら（ごくどうなら） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym凶悪きょうあくWrittenWritten/formal prose. Atrocious and brutal, stressing a violent nature ready to kill or injure; often in 「凶悪犯」. Unlike 「極道」, no profligacy or underworld sense.
- Synonym非道ひどうWrittenWritten/formal prose. Inhuman and unjust, against reason and human feeling, stressing cruel, heartless conduct; often in 「極悪非道」.
- Synonym邪悪じゃあくWrittenWritten/formal prose. Evil, stressing a crooked, corrupt mind; carries a good-versus-evil flavor and, unlike 「極道」, never refers to the underworld.
- Synonym極悪ごくあくWrittenWritten/formal prose. Utterly evil, stressing wickedness at its utmost; differs from 「極道」's profligacy sense.
- Synonym悪質あくしつNeutralNeutral. Malicious or shoddy, stressing nasty methods or poor quality, as in 「悪質な詐欺」.
- Synonym悪人あくにんNeutralNeutral, in both speech and writing. A general word for someone who does evil; more neutral than 「極道」.
- Synonym悪者わるものCasualColloquial. A bad guy, stressing someone cast in the role of villain; milder than 「極道」.
- Synonym悪玉あくだまCasualColloquial. A baddie or villain, also jokingly for bad cholesterol and the like; playful, milder than 「極道」.
- Synonym悪党あくとうWrittenWritten/formal prose. A scoundrel, one person or a gang; in medieval history, also armed bands that rose against the authorities.
- Synonym罪深いつみぶかいWrittenWritten/formal prose. Deeply sinful, stressing a heavy sense of sin with religious overtones, rather than criminal acts.
- Synonym姦物かんぶつWrittenWritten/formal prose, rare. A cunning, crooked character, stressing someone full of wicked schemes.
- Synonym奸賊かんぞくWrittenWritten/formal prose, rare. A treacherous villain, stressing a wicked-hearted renegade.
- Synonym悪漢あっかんWrittenWritten/formal prose. A villainous man, stressing a male wrongdoer; has a novelistic flavor.
- Synonym悪徒あくとWrittenWritten/formal prose, rare. A scoundrel or rogue, stressing one who acts against morality.
- Synonym極悪人ごくあくにんWrittenWritten/formal prose. A person guilty of the utmost evil; stresses extreme wickedness more strongly than 「極道」.
- Related悪辣あくらつWrittenWritten/formal prose. Vicious and crafty, stressing sly, ruthless methods, as in 「悪辣な手口」.
- Related匪賊ひぞくWrittenWritten/formal prose, rare. Bandits who plunder in groups, stressing an armed gang.
- Related匪徒ひとWrittenWritten/formal prose, rare. Bandits or violent mobs; also a legal term for organized criminal groups.
In modern colloquial Japanese, 「極道」 mostly means the underworld—organized crime and its members—or a dissolute, reckless way of life. For a bad person use 「悪人」 or the colloquial 「悪者」; for vicious, atrocious acts use 「凶悪」. Other written-style choices include 「邪悪」 for evil, 「極悪」 for extreme evil, and 「悪党」 for scoundrels; 「悪質」 (neutral) describes nasty methods or shoddy quality.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
