ominous atmosphere; eerie presence; supernatural aura
Refers to a strange, unsettling atmosphere often associated with ghosts, monsters, or the supernatural. Used in fiction, horror, and everyday descriptions of creepy places.
An eerie atmosphere hangs over this abandoned house.
He sensed a supernatural presence and stopped in his tracks.
Compound of 妖 (yō, 'bewitching, mysterious, apparition') and 気 (ki, 'spirit, atmosphere, energy'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination naturally yields the meaning 'supernatural aura.'