noun, adverb taking the 'to' particle, taru-adjective
Describes a state of being so absorbed in pleasure or beauty that one loses awareness of surroundings. Often used with となる or とした.
彼女の歌声に聴衆は恍惚となった。
The audience fell into a trance at the sound of her singing.
彼は恍惚とした表情で絵を
He was gazing at the painting with an ecstatic expression.
noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
Refers to mental decline in old age; often used in medical or literary contexts. Can appear in compounds like 恍惚状態.
祖父は恍惚が進み、家族の顔もわからなくなった。
My grandfather's senility advanced, and he no longer recognized his family's faces.
医者は彼の症状を恍惚状態と診断した。
The doctor diagnosed his condition as a state of senility.
The kanji 恍 and 惚 both carry meanings of being absent-minded or in a daze. The compound originally described a state of being entranced or lost in thought, later extending to the mental confusion of old age.