妖怪|ようかいyoukai[0]heiban (flat)

1. nounghost; apparition; phantom; spectre; specter; demon; monster; goblin; yōkai
   一いち匹ひきの妖怪ようかいがヨーロッパを徘徊はいかいしている。共産主義きょうさんしゅぎという妖怪ようかいが。↗

   A spectre is haunting Europe ― the spectre of communism.

• SynonymおばけCasualColloquial, slightly childlike word for ghosts and goblins; can also mean something unnaturally huge. 「妖怪」 stays closer to folklore beings.
• Synonym化け物ばけものCasualColloquial catch-all for monsters and ghouls; figuratively a person of astonishing ability. 「妖怪」 suggests folklore creatures more strongly.
• Synonym怪物かいぶつNeutralNeutral word for a monster of unknown origin; figuratively a person of extraordinary ability. 「妖怪」 evokes Japanese folklore specifically.
• Synonym幽霊ゆうれいNeutralNeutral word for the ghost of a dead person that appears in this world. 「妖怪」 is usually a non-human creature.
• Synonym亡霊ぼうれいWrittenWritten word for a departed spirit; figuratively an old force that lingers after its demise. 「妖怪」 is broader and need not be the soul of someone dead.
• SynonymゴーストCasualLoanword for a ghost; also unwanted double images on a screen or photo. 「妖怪」 leans to Japanese folklore beings.
• SynonymモンスターCasualLoanword for a monster; figuratively an overbearing person, as in 「モンスターペアレント」. 「妖怪」 stays within legend and folklore.
• Synonym妖魔ようまWrittenA written word for demons and evil spirits, with an evil tinge. 「妖怪」 covers folklore beings that are not necessarily harmful.
• Synonym魑魅ちみWrittenWritten word, usually in 「魑魅魍魎」, for spirits and goblins of mountains and forests. 「妖怪」 is the broader general term.
• Synonym物の怪もののけWrittenWritten, classical-flavoured word for a vengeful spirit that works mischief, and by extension supernatural beings, as in 「物の怪に憑かれる」.
• Synonym幽鬼ゆうきWrittenWritten word for the soul of the dead, a revenant, or an oni. 「妖怪」 need not be the spirit of a deceased person.
• Synonym死霊しりょうWrittenWritten word for the soul of a dead person parted from its body. 「妖怪」 is not necessarily a spirit of the deceased.
• Related悪魔あくまNeutralNeutral word for the devil, demons, or the Buddhist Māra. 「妖怪」 belongs to Japanese folklore and is not necessarily evil.
• Related魔まWrittenWritten single character for demons and evil forces, often a suffix as in 「睡魔」. 「妖怪」 denotes a concrete creature.
• Related怪獣かいじゅうNeutralNeutral word for a mysterious creature of unknown identity, and for the fictional kaiju of tokusatsu films. 「妖怪」 is a folk-legend being.

Use 「妖怪」 for the supernatural beings of Japanese folk legend, as in 「妖怪図鑑」. For casual talk of ghosts and goblins pick 「お化け」; for the ghost of a dead person 「幽霊」; for Western devils 「悪魔」; for fictional giant monsters 「怪獣」.

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

1. 民間みんかん信仰しんこうにおいて伝つたえられる、人知じんちを越こえた現象げんしょうを引き起ひきおこす超ちょう自然的しぜんてきな存在そんざい。