(まぼろし)

まぼろし
noun
illusion, phantom, vision
abstract
1. illusion, phantom, vision, apparition
Something that appears to exist but does not, or that existed only briefly and is now gone. Used for visual hallucinations, fleeting experiences, and things that seem dreamlike or unreal.
(まぼろし)()
To see a vision.
あの(しあわ)せな日々(ひび)(まぼろし)だっただろう
Were those happy days just an illusion?
砂漠(さばく)旅人(たびびと)()オアシス(まぼろし)すぎなかった。
The oasis the traveler saw in the desert was nothing but an illusion.
2. legendary, elusive, rare beyond belief
Used as a modifier (幻の) to describe something so rare or fleeting that it seems almost mythical or impossible to obtain.
(まぼろし)名酒(めいしゅ)()()れた
I got hold of a legendary rare sake.
This fish is called a legendary fish.
The legendary record I had been searching for over many years was finally found at an old secondhand record shop.

Usage

(まぼろし) as a standalone noun means an illusion or vision — something that appears real but is not. As a modifier ((まぼろし)), it describes something so rare, elusive, or short-lived that it takes on a mythical quality. This modifier usage is very common in food and drink writing ((まぼろし)日本酒(にほんしゅ), (まぼろし)食材(しょくざい)) and in media ((まぼろし)名作(めいさく)).

Common collocations

  • (まぼろし)(): to see a vision
  • (まぼろし)のように()える: to vanish like a phantom
  • (まぼろし)~: legendary ~, phantom ~
  • (まぼろし)()わる: to end as an illusion (to never materialize)