1.
unusual shape, strange form, monstrous appearance
An abnormal, grotesque, or otherworldly shape or form. Often used in literature, fantasy, and horror to describe creatures or objects with unnatural appearances.
異形の怪物が現れた。
A monster of monstrous form appeared.
異形の者が闇の中から姿を見せた。
A being of grotesque form revealed itself from the darkness.
溶岩が冷え固まって異形の岩になった。
The lava cooled and solidified into rocks of strange shapes.
USAGE:
A literary word frequently found in fantasy, horror, and historical fiction. In older Japanese, it was used for supernatural beings that deviated from human or normal appearance. In modern usage, it describes anything with a strikingly unusual or grotesque shape.
Also sometimes read いけい, particularly in technical or academic contexts (e.g., 異形鉄筋, deformed rebar). The reading いぎょう is more common for the literary/descriptive sense.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 異形の怪物: a monster of grotesque form
- 異形の者: a being of strange form
- 異形の姿: a monstrous appearance
- 異形の存在: an otherworldly being