荒こう涼りょう

こ

う

りょ

う

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

taru-adjective, adverb taking the 'to' particle

Describes a landscape, scene, or atmosphere that is barren, empty, and lifeless, often with a sense of loneliness. Used as a たる adjective or adverbially with と.

荒こう涼りょうとした砂さ漠ばくがどこまでも続つづいていた。
A desolate desert stretched on endlessly.
冬ふゆの海かい岸がんは荒こう涼りょうとしていて、人ひと影かげはなかった。
The winter seashore was bleak, with no one in sight.

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Kanji

荒laid waste, rough, rude
涼refreshing, nice and cool
寥lonely

Related words

寂さびしい
寂しい describes a personal feeling of loneliness or a lonely atmosphere, while 荒涼 focuses on the physical barrenness and desolation of a place.
荒こう廃はい
荒廃 emphasizes ruin, decay, or devastation, often of man-made structures or land, whereas 荒涼 stresses the empty, dreary quality of a natural or open space.

Word family

満まん目もく荒こう涼りょう
bleak and desolate scene; all nature looking forlorn
荒こう涼りょう落らく莫ばく
desolate and forlorn scene

Written forms

荒こう涼りょうUsage95%
Standard kanji form.
荒こう寥りょうUsage5%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.

Etymology

Compound of 荒 (rough, wild) and 涼 (cool, refreshing), but here 涼 is used in its extended sense of 'lonely' or 'desolate'. The spelling 荒寥 uses 寥 (lonely, quiet) more directly, but it is rare.