不気味

• Reading: ぶきみ
• Romaji: bukimi
• Kanji breakdown: 不 (bu) — negation; 気味 (kimi) — feeling, atmosphere
• Pronunciation: /bɯkimi/

Meaning

Eerie; uncanny; creepy; producing an unsettling feeling of strangeness or hidden danger.

A na-adjective evoking the psychological unease of encountering something unfamiliar yet vaguely familiar — the uncanny valley effect in robotics is described as 不気味の谷 (uncanny valley). It goes beyond mere strangeness (変) to imply a sense of hidden menace or wrongness, often in quiet or ambiguous situations.

Examples

1. 深夜の廃墟から不気味な音が繰り返し聞こえてきた。 Eerie sounds kept coming from the abandoned building late at night.
2. 満面の笑みを貼り付けたような表情が逆に不気味な印象を与えた。 The expression that looked like a smile plastered on his face gave off an uncanny impression instead.
3. 不気味なほど静かな夜が続き、住民は漠然とした不安を感じ始めた。 The nights continued to be eerily quiet, and residents began to feel a vague sense of unease.

Usage Guide

Context: horror, atmosphere, psychology, daily life

Tone: uneasy

Origin & History

Compound of 不 (not, un-) and 気味 (feeling, sensation, taste). 気味 refers to a vague atmospheric quality or mood; 不気味 negates normal, reassuring feeling — an atmosphere that should feel neutral but instead feels wrong.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal