Usage patterns 異い 様よう な 雰ふん 囲い 気き an eerie/strange atmosphere
There was a strange, eerie atmosphere when I entered the classroom.
異い 様よう な 光こう 景けい a bizarre/unsettling sight
A strange, unsettling sight spread out before us there.
異い 様よう な 目め つき a strange, unnerving look (in someone's eyes)
He was looking this way with a strange, unsettling look in his eyes.
異い 様よう に 〈 形けい 容よう 詞し 〉 unusually/abnormally ~ (intensifying an adjective)
It's unusually hot today.
Kanji 異 uncommon, different, queerness Related words· 7 奇妙 suggests something curious or amusingly odd, while 異様 leans toward an unsettling, abnormal feel.
変 is a casual, everyday word for 'strange', whereas 異様 is more formal and stresses an eerie, out-of-the-ordinary atmosphere.
不気味 focuses specifically on a creepy, fear-inducing feeling, while 異様 more broadly covers anything abnormal or strange, not always frightening.
異様 is a more common, everyday word for something looking odd or unusual, while 異形 is a literary word implying a fantastical or grotesque form.
Show 3 more Show fewer 異様 simply means 'unusual' or 'out of the ordinary' without the repulsive, distorted connotation that グロテスク carries.
異様 describes something so abnormal it looks eerie or uncanny, whereas 奇異 covers a milder sense of strangeness that draws attention.
異様 focuses on an abnormal, unnatural appearance, while 奇怪 emphasizes that something is baffling or suspicious in nature or behavior.
Don't confuse with 異常 shares the kanji 異 with 異様 but means 'abnormal' in a neutral, statistical or clinical sense, while 異様 carries an eerie, unsettling nuance.
Written forms 異い 様よう Usage 98%
Standard kanji spelling; commonly used in news and writing.
いよう Usage 2%
Etymology Compound of 異 (i, 'different, unusual') and 様 (yō, 'appearance, state'). The combination conveys an appearance or state that deviates from the norm.
Report an issue with this page
Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
