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.
その知らせを聞いて、彼は愕然とした。
He was astonished when he heard the news.
He was stunned by the news.
突然の解雇に、社員たちは愕然とした表情を浮かべた。
The employees looked aghast at the sudden dismissal.
彼女は事故の現場を見て愕然として立ち尽くした。
She stood frozen in shock after seeing the scene of the accident.
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 means dumbfounded or in a blank daze, while 愕然 emphasizes the sharp shock and dismay behind the reaction.
驚く is the everyday, general verb for being surprised, while 愕然 is a stronger, more literary word for being utterly stunned.
平然 describes staying calm and unruffled, the opposite of the stunned shock expressed by 愕然.
Standard kanji spelling.
Search-only mixed kanji-kana form; not a standard spelling.
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.