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あっけ (akke) Japanese meaning: dumbfoundedness | Kotomora
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とら
れ
た
。
I was dumbfounded by the overly abrupt ending.
Everyone was taken aback by his sudden resignation.
Expressions あっけにとられる be taken aback; be astonished; be dumbfounded Kanji 呆 be amazed, disgusted, shocked Related words 呆然 describes being stunned into a blank, absent-minded daze (often from grief or shock), while 呆気 names the fleeting shock of being caught off guard, almost always in the set phrase 呆気にとられる.
唖然 stresses being left speechless with surprise, while 呆気 focuses on the momentary letdown or bewilderment at an unexpectedly quick or simple outcome.
驚き is the general, everyday noun for surprise of any kind, whereas 呆気 specifically describes the stunned, deflated feeling when something anticlimactic happens.
Written forms あっけ Usage 59%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms are ateji and rare.
呆あっ 気け Usage 37%
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)
Ateji spelling; rarely used in modern writing.
あっ 気け Usage 4%
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)
Mixed kana-kanji ateji spelling; very rare.
Etymology The origin is uncertain. The kanji 呆気 is ateji, and the word is likely of native Japanese mimetic or sound-symbolic origin, related to the feeling of being stunned or let down.
