怪奇(かいき)

かいき
na-adjective, noun
mysterious; eerie; bizarre
descriptiveculture
1. mysterious; eerie; bizarre; uncanny
Something strange and unsettling that evokes a sense of mystery or the supernatural. Often used to describe horror-related or inexplicable phenomena.
怪奇(かいき)な現象(げんしょう)が起(お)きた。
A mysterious phenomenon occurred.
この映画(えいが)は怪奇(かいき)小説(しょうせつ)を原作(げんさく)としている。
This film is based on a horror novel.
古(ふる)い屋敷(やしき)で怪奇(かいき)な出来事(できごと)が相次(あいつ)ぎ、近所(きんじょ)の人々(ひとびと)は気味悪(きみわる)がっている。
Eerie events keep happening at the old mansion, and the neighbors are spooked.

Composed of 怪(かい) (mysterious, suspicious) + 奇(き) (strange, unusual). Strongly associated with horror fiction, ghost stories, and the supernatural. Has a literary or dramatic flavor.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 不気味(ぶきみ) — eerie, creepy (more about an unsettling feeling, less literary)
  • 奇怪(きかい) — bizarre, mysterious (very close synonym, same kanji reversed)
  • 怪談(かいだん) — ghost story (a specific genre, not an adjective)
  • ホラー — horror (loanword, used for the entertainment genre)

Related Words

Homophone: 回帰(かいき)
Compare: 不気味(ぶきみ) (eerie, creepy)
Compare: 怪談(かいだん) (ghost story)
Compare: ホラー (horror)
Compare: 不可思議(ふかしぎ) (mysterious)
general
Added 2026.3.30 4:25 · Revised 2026.9.12 2:04
20500/20609_kaiki