tremble · fear

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 慄 has 13 strokes and the on-reading りつ. 戦慄 (せんりつ) and 慄然 (りつぜん) express shuddering fear or being horrified.
• Basic usage: 戦慄 names a shudder of terror; 慄然 describes trembling with fear or being horrified.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Expressions for shuddering with fear
  • 戦慄を覚えた describes feeling a shudder of terror as footsteps approach in the dark. 戦慄するほどの恐ろしさ means fear strong enough to make someone shudder.
  • 人影を見て慄然とした means shuddered at seeing a human figure. 被害の大きさに慄然とした means was horrified by the scale of the damage.