悚しょう然ぜん

taru-adjective, adverb taking the 'to' particle

terrified; horrified

Literary, somewhat old-fashioned word describing a state of being frozen with fear. Often used in the adverbial form 悚然として.

See also: 慄然

• その話はなしを聞きいて、彼かれは悚しょう然ぜんとした。

  Hearing that story, he was terrified.

• 悚しょう然ぜんとして立たちすくんだ。

  I stood frozen in horror.