悚

A phono-semantic compound, consists of:

心 (heart) — semantic component, indicates emotion or mental state;

束 — phonetic component, supplies pronunciation "song / sù."

The structure suggests "a heart that is tightly bound or constrained."

This conveys a sudden contraction of emotion — fear.

Appears mainly in classical or literary contexts.

공송 (恐悚) — fear and reverence (rare/literary)

悚 emphasizes:

- sudden internal tightening of fear;

- emotional contraction;

- startled alarm.

It often carries a more refined or literary nuance than everyday fear terms.

Related characters:

恐 — fear

懼 — dread

怖 — terror

驚 — to be startled

悸 — palpitating fear

Among these, 悚 conveys a restrained but intense inner alarm.

In classical Chinese, 悚 often implies fear mixed with awe or solemn seriousness.

悚然而立 — “stood up in sudden alarm”