祟 (suì) - An evil spirit causing trouble & a ghostly apparition
祟 · suì
An evil spirit causing trouble;
a ghostly apparition;
supernatural harm or misfortune;
to haunt or possess.
An evil spirit causing troublea ghostly apparitionsupernatural harm or misfortune
Usage highlights
to haunt; to cause troublesneaky; furtivesneakily; furtivelyevil spirit; ghostto drive away evil spiritssupernatural harm
Usage & contexts
Examples
- The villagers believed the illness was caused by an evil spirit (作祟).
- Some thought the strange occurrences were ghostly hauntings (鬼祟).
- He acted in a sneaky, furtive manner (鬼鬼祟祟).
- They performed a ritual to drive away the malicious influence (驱除邪祟).
Collocations
- to haunt; to cause trouble(作祟)
- sneaky; furtive(鬼祟)
- sneakily; furtively(鬼鬼祟祟)
- evil spirit; ghost(邪祟)
- to drive away evil spirits(驱祟)
- supernatural harm(祟害)
Idioms
- Acting sneakily(鬼鬼祟祟)
- Evil spirits causing trouble(邪祟作祟)
- To drive away demons and evil spirits(驱邪除祟)
Cultural background
FAQ- In traditional Chinese folk belief, 祟 refers to supernatural harm or misfortune caused by malevolent spirits or ghosts.
- The character is visually similar to 崇 (chóng, meaning 'lofty' or 'to esteem'), but has a different structure and meaning, often leading to confusion.
- The concept is deeply rooted in animistic and Daoist traditions, where rituals are performed to ward off such negative influences.