怨霊

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 怨霊 is read as おんりょう and is a noun for a vengeful spirit believed or portrayed as harboring a grudge.
• Basic usage: An appearance in a ghost story is expressed by 怨霊が登場する, while a staged depiction appears in 怨霊の姿を表現する.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Legendary and fictional being
  • It suits cultural and creative contexts such as ghost stories, legends, and stage representations of a resentful spirit.
• Difference from 幽霊
  • 幽霊 broadly means a ghost; 怨霊 specifically carries the idea of resentment and vengeance.