N3 Appearance, Tendencies, and Hearsay

~気味ぎみ: meaning, usage and examples

~気味ぎみ means: a little... / -ish (slight feeling or tendency).

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. 今日きょうは、ちょっとかぜ気味ぎみです。

   I have a light cold today.

2. 最近さいきん、太ふとり気味ぎみなので、運動うんどうを始はじめた。

   I've been gaining a little weight recently, so I started exercising.

3. 最近さいきん、仕事しごとが遅おくれ気味ぎみです。

   Work has been running a little behind lately.

4. 疲つかれ気味ぎみなので、今日きょうは早はやく寝ねます。

   I'm feeling a bit tired, so I'm going to bed early tonight.

When to use it

気味ぎみ means "a little" or "slightly", for a mild feeling or condition you notice in yourself or a situation. It is common with health and mood: かぜ気味ぎみ (a touch of a cold), 疲つかれ気味ぎみ (a bit tired), and with trends: 太ふとり気味ぎみ (putting on weight), 遅おくれ気味ぎみ (running a bit behind). It softens what you say.

Nuance

Usually about unwelcome states. Neutral register, common in polite conversation and at work, for example when explaining why you are leaving early. It describes a slight degree right now or recently, not a lasting personality trait, and not something that happens again and again.

Compare

がち is about how often something happens: 遅おくれがち (often late). 気味ぎみ is about a slight degree now: 遅おくれ気味ぎみ (running a little behind). っぽい is about appearance or character: 熱ねつっぽい (feverish). 気味ぎみ sounds a bit more mature and polite than っぽい: 今日きょうはかぜ気味ぎみなので、早はやく帰かえります.

Tip: Use 気味ぎみ to soften a health excuse at work: 疲つかれ気味ぎみで... sounds natural and polite. Read it ぎみ, not きみ.