Japanese word

驚愕

Pronunciation

Romajikyōgaku

Meaning

  • nounshock

Example

その結果に驚愕しました。so no kek ka ni kyō gaku shi ma shi ta

I was shocked by the result.

Illustration for 驚愕 (shock)

More examples

専門家もその発見に驚愕を隠せませんでした。sen mon ka mo so no hak ken ni kyō gaku o kaku se ma se n de shi ta

Even the experts could not hide their astonishment at the discovery.

Core concept

Refers to a powerful reaction in which an unexpected fact or outcome overwhelms ordinary surprise.

Common phrases

  • 驚愕に値するkyō gaku ni atai su ru

    worthy of astonishment

  • 驚愕の声kyō gaku no koe

    a cry of astonishment

  • 驚愕の表情kyō gaku no hyō jō

    a shocked expression

Similar words

驚きodoroki: A general feeling of surprise in response to something unexpected.
仰天gyōten: A state of intense surprise caused by an unexpected event or fact.
愕然gakuzen: A state of being stunned by an unexpected fact or outcome.
びっくりbikkuri: A casual reaction to something that causes surprise.

Definition in Japanese

思いがけない事実や成り行きに触れ、強く驚くこと。omo i ga ke na i ji jitsu ya na ri yu ki ni fu re tsuyo ku odoro ku ko to

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese word 驚愕 (kyōgaku) joins 驚 (kyō, "surprise") with 愕 (gaku, "astonishment"), forming a term for extreme surprise.

Usage tips

  • In conversational Japanese, 驚愕 (kyōgaku) sounds more formal than everyday words for being surprised, which makes it useful for recognizing a serious register.

Other meanings

  • astonishmentnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 驚愕するkyōgakusurube shockedverb

Word lists with this word