罪恶 (zuì è) is a compound noun meaning 'crime and evil' or more broadly 'wickedness, atrocity, or moral corruption'. The first character 罪 (zuì) means 'crime', 'sin', or 'guilt', often implying legal or ethical wrongdoing. The second character 恶 (è) means 'evil', 'wickedness', or 'malice', carrying strong moral and emotional weight. Together, they form a literary and solemn term that emphasizes both the unlawful and the morally abhorrent — not just minor wrongdoing, but profound injustice or cruelty. It’s commonly used in formal writing, historical accounts, moral discourse, and political rhetoric.

This word evokes deep condemnation and is rarely used lightly or conversationally. It appears frequently in discussions of war crimes, systemic oppression, historical tragedies, or ideological critiques. Unlike neutral terms like 犯罪 (fàn zuì, 'crime'), 罪恶 carries an intense evaluative tone — it judges the act as not only illegal but deeply immoral and dehumanizing. Learners should note that it’s almost always used attributively or as a subject/object in serious contexts, never as a casual descriptor.