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あくどい

vicious; unscrupulous; underhanded; (of colour, taste) gaudy, overdone, too rich

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Examples

  1. あくどい事をするな。

    あくどいことをするな。

    Don't do wicked things.

  2. お年寄りを狙ったあくどい商売が問題になっている。

    おとしよりをねらったあくどいしょうばいがもんだいになっている。

    Unscrupulous businesses targeting the elderly have become a problem.

  3. この絵は色があくどくて落ち着かない。

    このえはいろがあくどくておちつかない。

    The colours in this painting are too garish to be restful.

Common patterns

あくどい商売
a shady business
あくどいやり方
an underhanded method
色があくどい
for colours to be garish

Memory tip

Despite the sound, it is not from 悪 — the older sense is "too much of something", which is why colours and flavours can be あくどい as well as people. Of a person it is stronger than ずるい: calculated exploitation, not mere craftiness.

Quick check

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What does あくどい mean?