罪人|ざいにんzainin[0]heiban (flat)

1. nouncriminal; lawbreaker; wrongdoer; offender
   シンガポールでは罪人ざいにんの背中せなかを鞭むちで打うったり、杖つえで何度なんどか叩たたいたりする。↗

   In Singapore, one method of punishing criminals is to whip them, or hit them several times on the back with a cane.

• Synonym犯人はんにんNeutralThe culprit in a specific case; also figuratively the cause of a problem. Focuses on the case at hand, while 「罪人」 stresses bearing the guilt.
• Synonym犯罪者はんざいしゃNeutralA neutral, objective term for someone who committed a crime; stresses the status of offender and lacks the religious or moral tinge of 「罪人」.
• Related悪人あくにんNeutralA bad or evil person; the focus is on wicked character, and such a person need not have broken any law.
• Related悪党あくとうNeutralA scoundrel or villain, used with a name-calling tone; historically also a medieval band of rebels.
• Related悪漢あっかんNeutralA wicked man; carries the flavor of fiction and stresses the image of a villain rather than guilt, unlike 「罪人」.
• Related咎人とがにんWrittenWritten/formal prose; an old word for someone who committed a crime, now mostly seen in period dramas.
• Related凶漢きょうかんWrittenWritten/formal prose; a violent thug or assailant, as in 「凶漢に襲われる」. Stresses ferocity, while 「罪人」 stresses bearing guilt.
• Related凶徒きょうとWrittenWritten/formal prose; evildoers or a mob, one person or a crowd. 「罪人」 stresses having committed a crime and bearing the guilt.
• Related下手人げしゅにんNeutralOne who kills someone with their own hands; an old term stressing that the person directly did the killing.
• Related無法者むほうしゃNeutralAn outlaw who defies law and order; the focus is on lawless behaviour, and such a person need not have been convicted of anything.
• Relatedあぶれ者あぶれものWrittenWritten/formal prose; an old, rarely used word for an idle drifter or rogue, who has not necessarily committed any crime.
• Antonym善人ぜんにんNeutralAntonym: a good, virtuous person, standing in contrast to 「罪人」 as one who has committed a crime.

Use 「罪人」 for someone who has sinned or committed a crime, with a religious or moral nuance, as in 「罪人として裁かれる」. For the culprit in a specific case say 「犯人」, for an objective description 「犯罪者」, for a bad person 「悪人」; the antonym is 「善人」.

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

1. 罪つみを犯おかした人ひと。