The word 鬼话 is formed by combining two characters to create a metaphorical concept. The first character, 鬼 (guǐ), means "ghost" or "spirit", an entity traditionally associated with the supernatural, deception, and things that are not of this solid, trustworthy world. The second character, 话 (huà), means "words" or "speech". When fused, the literal "ghost speech" transforms into a powerful figurative meaning: it describes talk that is inherently untrustworthy, nonsensical, or deceptive, as insubstantial, misleading, or frightening as the words of a phantom. The formation relies entirely on this vivid conceptual blend, where the essence of a "ghost" qualifies the nature of the "speech".