Taxonomy of meanings for 怪:　　

  • 怪 guài (OC: kruuds MC: kʷɯæi) 古壞切 去 廣韻：【怪異也古壞切八 】
    • STRANGE
      • v[adN]subjectthat which is strange> strange spirits
      • vadNstrange; exotic
      • vistrange, monstrous
      • nab.tthe finding strange of someone or somethingCH
      • v[adN]actweird thingsLZ
      • vtoNputativemarvel atCH
      • v[adN]strange things
      • v[adN]weird thingsLZ
      • positive: rare, hence>PRECIOUS
        • nwhat is amazing and thus to be treasured
      • deliberately>CRAZY
        • late: grammaticalised>INTENSELY
          • putative>SURPRISED
            • vt(oN)be surprised at the contextually determinate N
            • vtoNbe surprised at, be amazed at
            • vtoNpassivebe marvelled at
            • vtoNputativemarvel at, be surprised at; wonder about
            • vtoNPab{S}gradedbe surprised at S, be surprised that S 甚怪
            • vtoSbe surprised at S; be surprised at something as being characterised by S
            • vtt(oN.)+V[0]be amazed at something as being V
            • nab.tthe finding strange and being surprised by someone; surpriseCH
            • vt(oS)be surprised because of the contextually determinate situationDS
            • grammaticalised: what surprise?>NATURALLY
                • intensitive> RESENT
                  • declarative>BLAME
                    • vtoNto declare responsible for a misdeed; blame; 
                    • vtt(oN1.)(+N2)omblame a contextually determinate N1 for for the contextually determinate N2
                    • vttoN.+V[0]blame N for V-ing
                  • attitudinal>FEAR
                • negatively>DISSATISFIED

              Additional information about 怪

              說文解字: 【怪】，異也。从心、圣聲。 【古壞切】

                Criteria
              • STRANGE

                1. The current general word for things strange is guài 怪 (ant. cháng 常 "ordinary").

                2. Qí 奇 (ant. fán 凡 "perfectly ordinary") refers to the positive quality of being remarkable and unusual.

                3. Yì 異 (ant. cháng 常 "ordinary") focusses on something being out of the ordinary.

              • SURPRISED

                1. The current general word for being surprised at something is yì 異.

                2. Guài 怪 refers to mild intellectual surprise, and sometimes even philosophical wonder.

                3. Jīng 驚 refers to heightened surprise mixed with astonishment and fear.

                4. È 愕 is a rare rather literary word for stunned astonishment.

              • PRECIOUS

                1. The current general word for objective preciousness and real high value and importance is bǎo 寶 (ant. zhuì 贅 "trifles"), and this word often has abstract figurative meanings "what one treasures as most important in one's life".

                2. Guì 貴 (ant. jiàn 賤 "cheap") refers to something precious and expensive, and the idea is always that this things are publicly recognised as precious.

                3. Zhēn 珍 (ant. yōng 庸 "perfectly ordinary") is always concrete when nominal and refers to preciousness with strong overtones of exquisite and exlusive distinction of the object concerned, and there often is a touch of the subjective. Hence the common combination zhēn guài 珍怪 "precious and exotic things", and the derived meaning of "culinary delicacies".

                Word relations
              • Contrast: (BLAME)咎/BLAME The current general word for declaring someone morally rather than criminally responsible for a misdeed is jiù 咎 (ant. yù 譽 "praise").
              • Contrast: (STRANGE)災 / 菑/DISASTER Zāi 災 refers to a natural disaster, typically sent down by Heaven.
              • Contrast: (STRANGE)異/STRANGE Yì 異 (ant. cháng 常 "ordinary") focusses on something being out of the ordinary.
              • Contrast: (STRANGE)神/SUPERNATURAL The general and very common term referring to whatever is supernatural or divine in any way, and thus superior to what is ordinarily human or natural, is shén 神.
              • Contrast: (STRANGE)詭/STRANGE
              • Assoc: (STRANGE)奇/STRANGE Qí 奇 (ant. fán 凡 "perfectly ordinary") refers to the positive quality of being remarkable and unusual.
              • Assoc: (STRANGE)妖 / 祅/INAUSPICIOUS Yāo 妖/祅 refers to concrete inauspicious events like animal misfosters.
              • Assoc: (STRANGE)變/CHANGE The most current general words for objective and typically abrupt change are biàn 變 "change from one's original state to become something different" (ant. héng �� "remain constant").
              • Assoc: (PRECIOUS)珍/PRECIOUS Zhēn 珍 (ant. yōng 庸 "perfectly ordinary") is always concrete when nominal and refers to preciousness with strong overtones of exquisite and exlusive distinction of the object concerned, and there often is a touch of the subjective. Hence the common combination zhēn guài 珍怪 "precious and exotic things", and the derived meaning of "culinary delicacies".