怪獣(かいじゅう)

かいじゅう
noun
monster; giant beast; kaiju
1. monster; giant beast; kaiju
A large, typically destructive monster. Strongly associated with Japanese pop culture, especially the genre of kaiju films like Godzilla. Can also refer to monsters in general in fiction.
怪獣(かいじゅう)映画(えいが)が好(す)きだ。
I like monster movies.
ゴジラは日本(にほん)を代表(だいひょう)する怪獣(かいじゅう)だ。
Godzilla is Japan's most iconic monster.
子供(こども)の頃(ころ)、怪獣(かいじゅう)の人形(にんぎょう)を集(あつ)めるのが大好(だいす)きだった。
When I was a kid, I loved collecting monster figurines.

The word 怪獣(かいじゅう) is now internationally recognized as "kaiju," a genre of Japanese film and media featuring giant monsters. The term comes from 怪(かい) (strange, mysterious) + 獣(じゅう) (beast).

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 怪獣(かいじゅう)映画(えいが) (monster movie / kaiju film)
  • 怪獣(かいじゅう)図鑑(ずかん) (monster encyclopedia)
  • 大(おお)怪獣(かいじゅう) (giant monster)

RELATED WORDS:

  • 妖怪(ようかい) — supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore (ghosts, spirits, shapeshifters)
  • 魔物(まもの) — demon, evil creature (fantasy/RPG contexts)
  • 化(ば)け物(もの) — monster, grotesque creature (more colloquial)
general
Added 2026.3.3 18:48
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