魉 (liǎng) - A malevolent mountain spirit or demon in Chinese & one of the demonic creatures in the term

魉Tone 3

liǎng ｜ 16 strokes ｜ radical:

梁嘹

魉 · liǎng

A malevolent mountain spirit or demon in Chinese mythology;

one of the demonic creatures in the term 魑魅魍魉.

A malevolent mountain spirit or demon in Chineseone of the demonic creatures in the term

Usage highlights

mountain demonsevil spiritsdemonic creaturesghosts and monstersphantom spiritsdemonic apparitions

Synonyms

  • 魅— evil spirit; demon
  • 妖— monster; demon
  • 鬼— ghost; spirit
  • 怪— monster; strange being

Antonyms

  • 神— deity; god
  • 仙— immortal; celestial being
  • 佛— Buddha; enlightened one

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The forest was said to be haunted by mountain demons (山魉).
  • Ancient texts describe various evil spirits (魍魉).
  • He was as elusive as a mountain sprite (魉魅).

Collocations

  • mountain demons(山魉)
  • evil spirits(魍魉)
  • demonic creatures(魉魅)
  • ghosts and monsters(鬼魉)
  • phantom spirits(幻魉)
  • demonic apparitions(妖魉)

Idioms

  • All sorts of evil spirits(魑魅魍魉)
  • Mountain demons and water monsters(山魈水魉)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originates from ancient Chinese mythology as a malevolent mountain spirit that causes mischief and harm.
  • Often appears in classical texts like《左传》as one of the harmful creatures in wilderness areas.
  • In modern usage, primarily appears in the fixed phrase 魑魅魍魉 referring to all kinds of evil beings.

FAQ