気持ち悪い（きもちわるい、kimochiwarui）
- unpleasant/gross

The Japanese word 気持ち悪い, read as きもちわるい, is a versatile adjective that primarily expresses a feeling of disgust, revulsion, or feeling uneasy. It conveys a sense of something being unpleasant, repulsive, or making someone feel physically or emotionally uncomfortable. It can also describe something that is "creepy" or "gross". The meaning can vary slightly depending on the context, but the core idea of something being unpleasant remains consistent. The feeling is often associated with the sensation of nausea or discomfort. In different contexts, the word can be used to express different degrees of intensity. This adjective is often used to describe things that are visually, emotionally, or conceptually unpleasant. The verb form is 気持ち悪く or 気持ち悪くなる. The word's root includes the word 気持ち, meaning "feeling" or "mood", and 悪い, which means "bad". Therefore, it literally means "bad feeling" or "feeling bad". 気持ち悪い can also mean "sick" or "ill".

⚫︎この食べ物は気持ち悪い味がする。 Translation: This food tastes disgusting. ⚫︎あの映画は気持ち悪かった。 Translation: That movie was disgusting. ⚫︎蜘蛛を見て気持ち悪くなった。 Translation: I got disgusted after seeing a spider.

The word 気持ち悪い is used to describe a wide range of things that cause a feeling of discomfort. It can be used to describe something that is visually unpleasant (e.g., a gross-looking insect), something that is morally objectionable (e.g., a cruel act), or something that makes you feel uneasy (e.g., a suspenseful movie). When using this word, it's important to be mindful of the context. It’s generally used in casual conversations, but can be appropriate in formal situations depending on what you are describing. It’s a strong word, so consider your audience and the situation before using it. It can sometimes come across as impolite depending on who you are talking to. The word can be used on its own as a response to something unexpected or unpleasant. For example, if you see something you don't like, you could say 気持ち悪い. Its past tense is 気持ち悪かった.

気持ち悪い is typically written in hiragana as きもちわるい. The kanji form is 気持ち悪い. 気持ち is usually written in kanji, and 悪い is almost always written in kanji. Variations in okurigana (the suffix hiragana) are minimal, and the kanji forms are standard. The kanji for 悪 is used for 悪い. Its verb form can be written as 気持ち悪くなる or 気持ち悪くする.

⚫︎不快な (ふかいな) - unpleasant ⚫︎嫌な (いやな) - unpleasant, annoying ⚫︎不愉快な (ふゆかいな) - unpleasant, disagreeable ⚫︎気持ちが悪い (きもちがわるい) - feeling bad ⚫︎吐き気がする (はきけがする) - to feel nauseous ⚫︎グロい (guroi) - gross, gory (slang) ⚫︎ゾッとする (zotto suru) - to be horrified

⚫︎気持ち良い (きもちいい) - pleasant, comfortable ⚫︎快い (こころよい) - pleasant, agreeable ⚫︎心地よい (ここちよい) - comfortable, pleasant

この匂いは気持ち悪い。 ・Translation: This smell is disgusting. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 気持ち悪い to describe an unpleasant smell.

彼の話はいつも気持ち悪いんだ。 ・Translation: His stories are always creepy. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 気持ち悪い to describe how someone’s stories make the speaker feel uneasy or uncomfortable.

The word 気持ち悪い is a combination of two words. 気持ち (kimochi), which means "feeling" or "mood", and 悪い (warui), which means "bad". The literal meaning is "bad feeling", which encompasses the range of emotions the word expresses. This etymology helps to understand the core meaning of the word as a negative emotional state. The formation of the word provides an intuitive understanding of its meaning, linking it to the concept of negative feelings or experiences.