(ぼうれい)

ぼうれい
noun
ghost, specter
literary
1. ghost, specter, apparition
The spirit of a dead person that appears in the world of the living. Carries a literary or dramatic tone compared to more common words like お化け or 幽霊.
There is a legend that a ghost appears in the castle.
武士(ぶし)亡霊(ぼうれい)(よる)ごと(あらわ)れるらしい。
Apparently the ghost of a samurai appears every night.
The novel depicts a protagonist haunted by ghosts of the past.

Usage

亡霊(ぼうれい) has a more literary and dramatic tone than 幽霊(ゆうれい) (ghost) or お()け (monster/ghost). It is often used in literature, drama, and figurative expressions. The word can also be used metaphorically to mean the lingering influence of something from the past.

Common collocations