expression, noun-modifying (irregular)
Describes a vague, unsettling feeling about a place, person, or situation; often implies something subtly wrong or menacing.
See also: 薄気味悪い
That abandoned house has an eerie atmosphere.
彼の薄気味の悪い笑い方が忘れられない。
I can't forget his creepy way of laughing.
Same meaning but used as an i-adjective; 薄気味の悪い is a prenominal form with の.
More general 'creepy' or 'weird'; 薄気味の悪い adds a nuance of faint or subtle eeriness.
Standard kanji spelling for this expression.
Mixed kana-kanji spelling sometimes seen.
Compound of 薄 (usu-, 'faint') + 気味 (kimi, 'feeling') + の (no, possessive) + 悪い (warui, 'bad'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the expression conveys a subtle, unpleasant sensation.