1.
feeling, sensation
A feeling or impression, especially an unpleasant or unsettling one. Often used in the compound 気味が悪い (creepy, unsettling).
気味が悪い話だ。
That's a creepy story.
誰もいないはずの部屋から物音がして、気味が悪かった。
I heard sounds from a room that should have been empty, and it was unsettling.
あの笑い方はどこか気味が悪い。
There's something creepy about that laugh.
2.
touch of, slight tendency toward
Used as a suffix (～気味) after nouns or verb stems to indicate a slight tendency or early signs of a condition, often something undesirable.
風邪気味だ。
I have a touch of a cold.
最近太り気味なので、運動を始めた。
I've been putting on a bit of weight lately, so I started exercising.
仕事が遅れ気味で、残業が続いている。
Work has been running a bit behind schedule, so I've been doing overtime.
GRAMMAR:
As a standalone noun, 気味 is most commonly used in the phrase 気味が悪い (creepy, unsettling). As a suffix, it attaches to nouns or verb stems with the reading ぎみ (voiced): 風邪気味, 太り気味, 遅れ気味.
Note the reading difference: 気味 as a standalone word vs. ～気味 as a suffix.
Do not confuse with the homophone 君 (you), which uses different kanji.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 気味が悪い: creepy, unsettling
- 風邪気味: touch of a cold
- 太り気味: slightly overweight
- 遅れ気味: running a bit behind
- 疲れ気味: somewhat tired