noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru'
being startled; being frightened
Archaic literary term for sudden fear or alarm. In modern Japanese, 驚き (おどろき) or 恐怖 (きょうふ) are used instead. The する form 驚懼する is also archaic.
古文書には「敵の襲来に驚懼す」と記されている。
In the old document it is written, 'They were startled by the enemy's attack.'
Compound of 驚 (きょう, 'surprise, fright') and 懼 (く, 'fear, dread'). The character 懼 is rare in modern Japanese, and the word is considered archaic.