魖 (xū) - A mythical ghost or spirit in Chinese folklore & often associated with malevolent or wandering spirits.

魖Tone 1

xū ｜ 20 strokes ｜ radical:

信嫣

魖 · xū

A mythical ghost or spirit in Chinese folklore;

often associated with malevolent or wandering spirits.

A mythical ghost or spirit in Chinese folkloreoften associated with malevolent or wandering spirits.

Usage highlights

ghost or spiritevil spiritwandering ghostghostly apparitionto exorcise a spiritspirit world

Synonyms

  • 鬼— ghost, spirit
  • 魂— soul, spirit
  • 魄— soul, spirit

Antonyms

  • 神— deity, god (benevolent supernatural being)
  • 仙— immortal, transcendent being

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The ancient text describes a fearsome ghost (魖).
  • Legends speak of wandering spirits (魖) in abandoned places.
  • In folklore, certain rituals were performed to ward off evil spirits (魖).
  • The character for ghost (鬼) is a component in 魖.

Collocations

  • ghost or spirit(魖)
  • evil spirit(恶魖)
  • wandering ghost(游魖)
  • ghostly apparition(魖影)
  • to exorcise a spirit(驱魖)
  • spirit world(魖界)

Idioms

  • No specific common idioms featuring 魖 are widely attested in standard references.

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Appears in classical texts and folklore as a type of ghost or supernatural entity.
  • The character structure combines 鬼 (ghost) with 虚 (empty, void), suggesting an insubstantial or spectral nature.
  • Reflects traditional Chinese beliefs in various classes of spirits and ghosts.

FAQ