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怖気立つ (おぞけだつ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

怖気立おぞけだつ

also: おじけだつ · こわけたつ

Meanings

1

godan verb (-tsu), intransitive verb

be horrified; shake with fright; yield to terror

Describes a strong physical or emotional reaction of fear, often with trembling. Used in literary or dramatic contexts.

その光こう景けいに彼かれは怖気おぞけ立だった。
He was horrified by the sight.
あまりの恐おそろしさに、全ぜん身しんが怖気おぞけ立

だ

つ

思おも

い

だっ

た

。

It was so terrifying that I felt my whole body shake with fright.

Written forms

怖気立つ
- おぞけだつ
  Standard kanji spelling for the reading おぞけだつ; also read おじけだつ or こわけたつ.
- おじけだつ
  Kanji spelling for the reading おじけだつ.
- こわけたつ
  Rare reading こわけたつ.
おぞけ立だつ
Mixed kana-kanji spelling for おぞけだつ.
怖おじ気け立だつ
Kanji spelling for the reading おじけだつ.
おじけだつ
こわけたつ

Kanji

怖dreadful, be frightened, fearful
気spirit, mind, air
立stand up, rise, set up

Similar words

怖こわがる
怖がる is a common everyday verb for 'to be scared', while 怖気立つ is a more intense, literary expression implying physical trembling or being overcome by fear.
震ふるえ上あがる
震え上がる also means 'to tremble with fear', but it is more common and less literary than 怖気立つ.

Etymology

Compound of 怖気 (fear, fright) + 立つ (to stand up, rise). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination suggests fear welling up or manifesting physically.