also: げきじゃく
taru-adjective, adverb taking the 'to' particle
silent and still; desolate
Literary and archaic; describes a profoundly quiet, empty, and lonely atmosphere. Used as a taru-adjective or adverb with と.
The forest at night was silent and still, without a single sound.
The ruined town presented a desolate appearance.
Alternate reading げきじゃく, even rarer than げきせき.
The exact derivation is uncertain; the kanji 闃 means 'quiet' and 寂 means 'lonely' or 'still', together conveying a sense of profound, desolate silence.