愕がく然ぜん

が

く

ぜ

ん

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

taru-adjective, adverb taking the 'to' particle

astonished; shocked; amazed; astounded; aghast

Describes a state of being utterly stunned or dumbfounded, often by unexpected or shocking news. Typically used in the pattern 愕然とする.

その知しらせを聞きいて、彼かれは愕がく然ぜんとした。
He was astonished when he heard the news.
突とつ然ぜんの解かい雇こに、社しゃ員いんたちは愕がく然ぜんとした表ひょう情じょうを浮うかべた。
The employees looked aghast at the sudden dismissal.

See all 11 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉に愕がく然ぜんとするto be shocked/stunned by something
彼かれはその知しらせに愕がく然ぜんとした。
He was stunned by the news.
愕がく然ぜんとして〈動どう詞し〉to do something in a state of shock or stunned disbelief
彼かの女じょは事じ故この現げん場ばを見みて愕がく然ぜんとして立たち尽つくした。
She stood frozen in shock after seeing the scene of the accident.

Kanji

愕surprised, frightened
然sort of thing, so, if so

Related words

驚きょう愕がく
驚愕 is a formal noun/na-adjective for intense shock or astonishment, often used as 驚愕する and interchangeable in tone with 愕然とする, but 愕然 more strongly evokes being struck speechless.
唖あ然ぜんN1
唖然 describes being struck speechless with astonishment, often at something absurd or outrageous, while 愕然 emphasizes shock at bad or unexpected news.
呆然ぼうぜんN1
呆然 means dumbfounded or in a blank daze, while 愕然 emphasizes the sharp shock and dismay behind the reaction.
驚おどろくN4
驚く is the everyday, general verb for being surprised, while 愕然 is a stronger, more literary word for being utterly stunned.

Opposites

平へい然ぜん
平然 describes staying calm and unruffled, the opposite of the stunned shock expressed by 愕然.

Written forms

愕がく然ぜんUsage94%
Standard kanji spelling.
がく然ぜんUsage3%
search-only kanji form
Search-only mixed kanji-kana form; not a standard spelling.
がくぜんUsage2%
ガクゼンUsage1%

Etymology

From Chinese 愕然 (èrán), meaning 'stunned' or 'aghast'. The kanji 愕 means 'surprised' or 'startled', and 然 is a suffix forming adjectives/adverbs of state.