48745
From Jisho.org, the words [最低{さいてい}](http://jisho.org/word/%E6%9C%80%E4%BD%8E)
( _saitei_ ) and [最悪{さいあく}](http://jisho.org/word/%E6%9C%80%E6%82%AA) (
_saiaku_ ) both mean "worst", while the words
[最高{さいこう}](http://jisho.org/word/%E6%9C%80%E9%AB%98) ( _saikou_ ) and
[最良{さいりょう}](http://jisho.org/word/%E6%9C%80%E8%89%AF) ( _sairyou_ ) both mean
"best".

Jisho lists 最低 as antonym of 最高, and lists 最悪 as antonym of 最良. The fact that
Jisho associates to each of them a specific antonym, to me, is a sign that
these two antonym pairs have different usages.

What are the differences between those two pairs, 最低 - 最高 versus 最悪 - 最良?
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-24T00:06:46.783
48697
2017-06-25T17:30:15.617
7494
question
word-choice words nuances
Two ways to say "best" and "worst": what's the difference between 最低{さいてい} - 最高{さいこう} and 最悪{さいあく} - 最良{さいりょう}?
I am not sure that the antonym description is referencing discrete usage
between each pair, however it is a matter of kanji choice:

> 最低 = "the worst" (lit. The lowest)  
>  最高 = "the best" (lit. The tallest)
>
> 最悪 = "the worst" (lit. The most bad)  
>  最良 = "the best" (lit. The most good)

So, removing the kanji for 最, you can see that those pairs are now real
antonyms of each other.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-24T00:36:19.770
48698
2017-06-24T00:36:19.770
21684
48697
answer
IMHO, 最低{さいてい} (saitei) and 最悪{さいあく} (saiaku) both mean "worst" but, when we
translate individually we can get :

> 最 (sai) mean "extreme, most, utmost"  
>  低 (hiku-, tei mean "humble, lower, short" and  
>  悪 (aku) mean "evil, false, bad, etc".  
>

So it means that people are using 低 (hiku-, tei) for general purpose. for ex:

> 費用{ひよう}は[最低]{さいてい}[一万円]{いちまんえん}です。  
>

It means that "The expense is 10000 yen at lowest."

悪 (aku) for bad habits, attitude, or wrong situation. for ex:  

> [車]{くるま}の値段{ねだん}が[跳]{は}ね[上]{あ}がっているので[今]{いま}は[買]{か}う[時期]{じき}としては[最悪]{さいあく}だ。

it means that "With car prices so high, now is the worst time to buy."

**Im not sure its right or wrong, but i try to help and thats what i get for
studying japanese.  
Feel free to correct me.**
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-24T00:54:53.400
48699
2017-06-24T05:12:44.473
2017-06-24T05:12:44.473
9831
22694
48697
answer
Usually 一番／最も良い and 一番／最も悪い would be good semantic counterparts of _best_ and
_worst_ in English, respectively. The words you mentioned all have extra
connotations when they seem to translate "best" or "worst".

**最低**

This word literally means (as a superlative) just "lowest", as in 最低気温 "lowest
temperature" or 最低賃金 "lowest (=minimal) wage". It however has another mostly
colloquial meaning that is "base, low" as in "low deed". In this meaning it's
no longer a superlative, which is proven by the fact you can add another 一番
before it.

> 私が出会った中で一番最低な男  
>  _the lowest man_ (= the biggest jerk = the worst man) _I've ever seen_

The slang usage is often shown in katakana (サイテー).

**最高**

The literal meaning is "highest" or "supreme", as in 最高裁判所 "Supreme Court".
This word also has a colloquial meaning that translates into "great feeling,
fantastic, on the top of the world" etc., that could be reworded as "best",
could be written サイコー, and accepts an extra 一番 as well.

> ここの料理は最高だな！  
>  _Their food is awesome (= superb = the best)!_

**最悪**

Its exact nuance in ordinary meaning is something like "most unwanted", as in
最悪の事態 "worst case". Again, the second meaning: "(felt) awful, annoying,
terrible", also written サイアク, and yes, you can say 一番最悪 too. So in this sense,
最悪 and 最高 make antonyms.

> 最悪、地球を脱出しなければならない。  
>  _At worst, we will have to escape the Earth._
>
> 今年に入って一番最悪なミス  
>  _The most terrible (= the worst) mistake since the beginning of this year_

**最良**

It is simply the antonym of 最悪's non-slang meaning, that is "most
satisfactory, optimal". This one has no other meaning, but is a relatively
bookish word. You'll often find another word 最善, which means "the best
possible", more useful than this.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-25T17:25:12.893
48745
2017-06-25T17:30:15.617
2017-06-25T17:30:15.617
7810
7810
48697
answer