godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
fall completely silent; become still as death
Describes a place or atmosphere becoming utterly quiet, often with a sense of stillness or tension.
教室が静まり返った。
The classroom fell completely silent.
深夜の街は静まり返っている。
The streets are dead quiet late at night.
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency news word.
Kana rendering of the second element; common in everyday writing.
静まる means 'to become quiet' in a general sense, while 静まり返る emphasizes a complete, deathly stillness.
Compound of 静まる (to become quiet) and 返る (to return; here as an intensifier meaning 'completely').