Definition
万籁俱寂 is a four-character idiom (成语) that paints a vivid scene: all the sounds of nature have fallen silent, leaving a profound stillness. It's used to describe a moment of absolute quiet, often at night or in a deserted place. The literal meaning is 'ten thousand sounds all silent' — 万籁 refers to all the sounds from nature (wind, birds, insects, etc.), and 俱寂 means 'all silent'. You can use it in literary or descriptive writing to emphasize a deep, almost tangible silence.
idiom
all is quietsilence reigns supremea profound stillness
Examples
- ，万籁俱寂，。Shēnyè, wàn lài jù jì, zhǐ tīngjiàn zìjǐ de xīntiào shēng.In the dead of night, all was quiet; I could only hear my own heartbeat.
- 万籁俱寂，。Xuě hòu de shāngǔ wàn lài jù jì, fǎngfú zhěnggè shìjiè dōu shuìzháo le.After the snow, the valley was utterly silent, as if the whole world had fallen asleep.
- 万籁俱寂，。Kǎoshì shí jiàoshì lǐ wàn lài jù jì, lián yì gēn zhēn diào zài dìshang dōu tīng de jiàn.During the exam, the classroom was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.