意地悪
いじわる · ijiwaru · JLPT N3 · na-adj
malicious
意地悪 = 意地 (temper, disposition) + 悪 (bad): a bad disposition, so mean
意地 (iji) means your temper or stubborn will, as in 意地を張る, to dig your heels in. Add 悪 (waru, from 悪い warui, bad) and you get a nasty streak. A child might say いじわる! to someone who is being mean on purpose.
地 — earth 土 + 也 (phonetic)
地 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The left component 土 means 'earth' or 'soil' and gives the meaning, while 也 on the right hints at the pronunciation. Originally referring to the ground or land, it broadened to mean 'place,' 'region,' and 'territory.'