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.
城に亡霊が出るという伝説がある。
There is a legend that a ghost appears in the castle.
武士の亡霊が夜ごとに現れるらしい。
Apparently the ghost of a samurai appears every night.
その小説には過去の亡霊にとらわれた主人公が描かれている。
The novel depicts a protagonist haunted by ghosts of the past.
USAGE:
亡霊 has a more literary and dramatic tone than 幽霊 (ghost) or お化け (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:
- 亡霊が現れる: a ghost appears
- 亡霊にとりつかれる: to be haunted by a ghost
- 過去の亡霊: ghosts of the past (figurative)
- 亡霊のように: like a ghost