preta

P3R1E1T1A1
/ˈpɹeɪtə/

noun

A hungry ghost (a supernatural being in Buddhist folklore, the spirit of a greedy person whose divine retribution is never to be sated)

OriginSanskrit प्रेत →
UncommonScrabble 7
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Meanings

nounpreta (plural pretas)

plural pretas

  1. A hungry ghost (a supernatural being in Buddhist folklore, the spirit of a greedy person whose divine retribution is never to be sated)

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
hungry ghost

Origin

  1. Sanskritप्रेत
  2. Englishpreta

From Sanskrit प्रेत (preta).

More words from Sanskrit

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bengali প্রেত
  • প্রেত (pret)a hungry ghost from Buddhist folklore
Chinese Cantonese 餓鬼 /饿鬼
  • 餓鬼 /饿鬼 (ngo⁶ gwai²)a hungry ghost from Buddhist folklore
Chinese Mandarin 餓鬼 /饿鬼
  • 餓鬼 /饿鬼 (èguǐ)a hungry ghost from Buddhist folklore
Hindi प्रेत
  • प्रेत (pret)a hungry ghost from Buddhist folklore
Hungarian préta
  • prétaa hungry ghost from Buddhist folklore
Japanese 餓鬼
  • 餓鬼 (gaki)a hungry ghost from Buddhist folklore
Korean 아귀
  • 아귀 (agwi)a hungry ghost from Buddhist folklore
Russian пре́та
  • пре́та (préta)a hungry ghost from Buddhist folklore
Thai เปรต
  • เปรต (bprèet)a hungry ghost from Buddhist folklore
Vietnamese ma đói, ngạ quỷ
  • ma đóia hungry ghost from Buddhist folklore
  • ngạ quỷa hungry ghost from Buddhist folklore

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

petrataperpaterpeartapertprateteraprepattraperetaptreap
Cite this entry
APA

preta. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preta

MLA

“preta.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preta. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “preta,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preta.

Source: preta on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.