Meaning GREAT EVIL (if it happens to you): depicting a decapitated head with the top of the skull removed so that the「container of brains」may be scooped out and consumed (or「open container whacked」or「grabbing in open container with one hand over the other」乂). Some photographic and other evidence exists today that supports this as one manner of preparing live monkey brains for ingestion in China, but who knows whose heads were opened up long ago and served for supper (note that this glyph is a variant of 兇 referring to a「foetus, infanticide」). Formerly, the internal「weave」element (メ) was derived from the fact that skull bones「weave together」a few months or so after a human is born (see the related glyphs) and often refers to the brain.
　FAMINE has been known for causing conditions so dire that humans resort to cannibalism, not only in China but worldwide. What is also true is that early on, but not so long ago, humans truly enjoyed the flavor of other humans and partook of it with relish (with some fava beans and a nice chianti? see below). Some say we taste similar to pork meat, a fact that might be confirmed by the transplantation of swine hearts into humans without tissue rejection. In this case, perhaps the MISFORTUNE, BAD LUCK relates to those consumed and not the revelers:
　「Human cannibals likely took a big bite out of their fellow humans about 10,000 years ago, according to a study that examined prehistoric bones with scratch and bite marks on them. …In the end, they discovered 30 bones belonging to three individuals: a robust adult, a gracile adult and an infant. However, the infant had only one complete bone (a shoulder blade, or scapula) that did not show signs of cannibalism, the researchers said. …But the practice goes way back: there's even evidence of Neanderthal cannibalism in Belgium and Spain from more than 40,000 years ago, when they went extinct, Live Science previously reported.」
　　[　https://www.cbsnews.com/news/prehistoric-human-bones-show-signs-of-cannibalism/ 2017-03-28　]　
　「We know that human sacrifice and cannibalism were widely practiced in pre-literate societies and that they were not local but universal cultural phenomena. …[T]he ancient Chinese also participated in this culture, which has much in common with the [Journal of Generative Anthropology] position about the violent origin and early development of human civilization…」
　　[　https://anthropoetics.ucla.edu/ap1401/1401plutschow/ 2011-03-08　]　
　(Three things not permitted to eat while taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors for psychiatric disorders? liver, beans, and wine).

Modern definitions (that generally disregard history) …excluding politically incorrect concepts and other meanings deemed offensive today; may list only pigeonholed definitions, euphemisms, or meaningless mnemonics)
Chinese: terrible; fearful; vicious; fierce; ominous; inauspicious; famine; variant of 兇|凶
Japanese: bad luck, bad fortune, evil, wickedness
Unihan extended: culprit; murder; bad, sad
EDRDG: villain; evil; bad luck; disaster