僧侶|そうりょsouryo[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. noun, Buddhismpriest; monk; bonze
   彼かれは僧侶そうりょに近ちかい禁欲きんよく生活せいかつをしている。↗

   He practices austerities almost like a monk.

• Synonym僧そうWrittenA single character for monk, mostly used in compounds like 「高僧」 and 「僧院」; on its own it is largely confined to written/formal prose.
• Synonym坊さんぼうさんCasualAn affectionate word for a priest, common in speech; 「僧侶」 is the formal term.
• Synonymお坊さんおぼうさんCasualAn affectionate honorific for a monk and the most common word in daily conversation; colloquial.
• Related和尚おしょうNeutralRefers to the head priest of a temple, and is also a general way to address a monk; common in speech.
• Related大徳だいとくWrittenA high priest revered for virtue; can also mean a wealthy person. Written/formal prose, with an old-fashioned air.
• Related坊ぼうNeutralCan mean a monk or a monk's dwelling, but also a small boy; used alone it usually means the latter.
• Related坊様ぼんさまNeutralMeans a monk, or a boy who is especially cherished; dated and not often used.
• Antonym在家ざいけNeutralAntonym: a lay Buddhist believer who follows the faith without being ordained as a monk; the opposite of 「僧侶」.
• Antonym俗人ぞくじんNeutralAntonym: a worldly layperson who has not entered the priesthood; the opposite of the ordained 「僧侶」.

Use 「僧侶」 for an ordained Buddhist monk or priest — the formal term, as in 「僧侶の読経」. In everyday speech say 「お坊さん」; for a temple's head priest say 「和尚」. The antonyms 「俗人」 and 「在家」 denote laypeople who have not been ordained.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 聖職者せいしょくしゃ。