Kanji 怪 suspicious, mystery, apparition Related words 不思議 is the common, everyday word for something mysterious or wondrous, while 怪 is a more literary term that often carries an eerie or supernatural nuance.
謎 refers to a puzzle or riddle that could in principle be solved, whereas 怪 emphasizes the uncanny, inexplicable quality of a thing.
Word family· 46 yōkai; supernatural creature; monster; ghost
monster; giant monster
monster
ghost story; supernatural tale
mysterious thief; phantom thief
Show 17 more Show fewer mysterious person; strange figure
bizarre; strange; weird; mysterious · grotesque
strange; weird; mysterious; outrageous
superhuman strength; monstrous strength
mystery; strangeness; bizarre phenomenon · ghost; monster; apparition
dubious document; anonymous defamatory letter
mysterious death; suspicious death
female ghost; female apparition; female monster
strange and troubling; mysterious and unsettling
ghost; apparition; spirit
mystery; strange event; mysterious affair
extraordinary person; wonder; marvel
evil priest; mad monk
actor with a unique, fascinating presence
mysterious light; strange light
strange dream; mysterious dream
strange tree; mysterious tree
See all 46 in Explore →
Etymology The kanji 怪 combines the 'heart' radical 忄 with 圣 (a phonetic component). It originally conveyed a sense of something strange or suspicious that unsettles the mind. The reading かい is the on'yomi, commonly used in Sino-Japanese compounds.
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