noun
evil spirit; possessing demon
Refers to a malevolent spirit or demon that possesses a person, often causing misfortune or illness. Common in folklore and traditional beliefs.
昔の人は、病気は憑き物のせいだと考えた。
People in the past thought that illness was caused by an evil spirit.
彼女は憑き物が落
She became cheerful as if a possessing spirit had left her.
Compound of 憑き (tsuki, continuative form of 憑く 'to possess') and 物 (mono, 'thing, spirit'). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it has long been used in Japanese folklore to describe spirits that possess humans.