taru-adjective, adverb taking the 'to' particle
astonished; shocked; amazed; astounded; aghast
Describes a state of being utterly stunned or dumbfounded, often by unexpected or shocking news. Typically used in the pattern 愕然とする.
He was stunned by the news.
He was astonished when he heard the news.
The employees looked aghast at the sudden dismissal.
She stood frozen in shock after seeing the scene of the accident.
呆然 means dumbfounded or in a blank daze, while 愕然 emphasizes the sharp shock and dismay behind the reaction.
驚く is the everyday, general verb for being surprised, while 愕然 is a stronger, more literary word for being utterly stunned.
平然 describes staying calm and unruffled, the opposite of the stunned shock expressed by 愕然.
Standard kanji spelling.
Search-only mixed kanji-kana form; not a standard spelling.
From Chinese 愕然 (èrán), meaning 'stunned' or 'aghast'. The kanji 愕 means 'surprised' or 'startled', and 然 is a suffix forming adjectives/adverbs of state.