Japanese symbol for “unscrupulous”
悪辣
あくらつ
Romaji: akuratsu
crafty; vicious; unscrupulous; sharp
In Japanese, unscrupulous is 悪辣, read あくらつ (akuratsu).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- adj-na crafty; vicious; unscrupulous; sharp
Written forms: 悪辣、悪らつ. Readings: あくらつ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “unscrupulous”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| あざとい | あざとい azatoi | calculating; sly; cunning |
| 非良心的 | ひりょうしんてき hiryoushinteki | unscrupulous; dishonest; irresponsibly done (work, etc.) |
| 無節操 | むせっそう musessou | unprincipled; inconstant; unscrupulous |
| 節操がない | せっそうがない sessouganai | unprincipled; inconstant; unscrupulous |
| 手が悪い | てがわるい tegawarui | unscrupulous |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 最悪 | さいあく saiaku | worst |
| 悪口 | わるぐち waruguchi | (verbal) abuse; speaking ill of people; bad-mouthing |
| 悪化 | あっか akka | deterioration; getting worse; worsening |
| 悪魔 | あくま akuma | devil; demon; fiend |
| 悪い | わるい warui | bad; poor; undesirable |
| 悪質 | あくしつ akushitsu | malicious; vicious; malignant |
| 辛辣 | しんらつ shinratsu | bitter (e.g. criticism); sharp; biting |
| 辣腕 | らつわん ratsuwan | shrewdness; sharpness; astuteness |
See also: Chinese symbol for “unscrupulous”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.