気味(きみ)が悪(わる)い

きみがわるい
expression
creepy; eerie; unsettling
emotion
1. creepy; eerie; unsettling
Describes something that gives an uncomfortable, uneasy feeling, often because it is strange, unnatural, or slightly frightening.
あの建物(たてもの)は気味(きみ)が悪(わる)い。
That building is creepy.
夜(よる)にあの道(みち)を歩(ある)くと気味(きみ)が悪(わる)い。
Walking down that road at night is unsettling.
誰(だれ)もいないのに足音(あしおと)が聞(き)こえて気味(きみ)が悪(わる)かった。
I heard footsteps even though no one was there, and it was eerie.

気味(きみ) here means 'feeling' or 'sensation,' so the expression literally means 'the feeling is bad.' Describes an instinctive unease provoked by something strange or unnatural. The shortened form 気味悪(きみわる)い (or 気味(きみ)わるい) is also common in casual speech.

Common collocations

  • 気味(きみ)が悪(わる)い話(はなし): a creepy story
  • 気味(きみ)が悪(わる)い笑(わら)い: an unsettling laugh
  • なんだか気味(きみ)が悪(わる)い: somehow creepy

Similar words

  • 不気味(ぶきみ): eerie, uncanny — a na-adjective with a similar meaning but slightly more literary; 気味(きみ)が悪(わる)い is more conversational
  • 怖(こわ)い: scary — a stronger, more direct word for fear, while 気味(きみ)が悪(わる)い describes a subtler sense of unease rather than outright fear
  • 薄気味悪(うすきみわる)い: creepy, slightly eerie — emphasizes a milder, lingering eeriness

Related Words

Compare: 不気味(ぶきみ) (eerie, uncanny)
Compare: 怖(こわ)い (scary)
Compare: 薄気味悪(うすきみわる)い (creepy, slightly eerie)
Compare: おぞましい (disgusting)
Compare: おどろおどろしい (eerie)
general
Added 2026.4.7 9:53 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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