adverb taking the 'to' particle, taru-adjective
dejectedly; crestfallen; downheartedly
Describes a person's disheartened, dispirited state or manner. Often used with と (e.g., しょうしょうとしている). Rare literary word; in modern Japanese, しょんぼり or がっかり are more common.
彼は失敗してしょうしょうと帰ってきた。
He came back dejectedly after failing.
adverb taking the 'to' particle, taru-adjective
Describes a lonely, solitary, or quiet state. Rare literary usage; modern equivalents include ひとりぼっちで or 寂しそうに.
彼女は部屋の隅でしょうしょうと座っていた。
She sat quietly and lonesomely in the corner of the room.
Common adverb/する verb for disappointment; less literary and more direct than しょうしょう.
The exact derivation is uncertain. The kanji 悄 means 'quiet, sad, anxious', and the reduplicated form 悄悄 is a classical Chinese-derived expression for a dejected or lonely state. The reading しょうしょう is the on'yomi of the characters.