noun-modifying (irregular)
craggy; steep and rugged
Literary or descriptive term for a mountain or rock face that is jagged, steep, and imposing. Often used in written descriptions of landscapes.
The mountain is known for its craggy rock faces.
A steep, rugged cliff towered before us.
Reduplication of 巌 (がん, 'rock' or 'crag') with the adjectival suffix とした, giving a descriptive phrase meaning 'rocky and steep'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the form follows a pattern of mimetic or reduplicative adjectives in Japanese.