Is there any difference in connotation between 悪い人 and 悪人?


Context: I like to translate song lyrics for fun and casual practice; two I've
recently been listening to are
[悪い人](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCLFfQZA0Gs) by syudou and
[悪人](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngSu8vrn33c) by ive, and the similar
titles got me wondering whether I should be translating the two terms
differently.

I understand the differences in pronunciation and grammar— 悪{わる}い人{ひと} is an
adjective modifying a noun, 悪人{あくにん} is a noun of its own. They both seem to
have the same general meanings of "bad person", "villain", etc. What I'm
curious about is, are they interchangeable, or is there any substantial
difference in usage/nuance/connotation?

In English there's a big difference between calling someone a "bad person"
(mundane, generalized, modifier of neutral "person") vs. a "villain" or
"evildoer" (more dramatic / usually fictional, defines referent by their
badness) ...

Do 悪{わる}い人{ひと} and 悪人{あくにん} have a similar distinction, anything that may make
it more appropriate to pick one or the other based on context? Or is it just
up to the writer's whim and syllable count?




悪人 tends to refer directly to true gangs, criminals, tyrants and such. It's
almost synonymous with 悪党.

悪い人 has a broader sense, and it may also refer to a sly person, a useless
person, a person with a significant fault, etc. Depending on the context, it
is even used somewhat positively to praise a bold action.




悪人 tends to refer directly to true gangs, criminals, tyrants and such. It's
almost synonymous with 悪党.

悪い人 has a broader sense, and it may also refer to a sly person, a useless
person, a person with a significant fault, etc. Depending on the context, it
is even used somewhat positively to praise a bold action.

