森森 (sēnsēn): dense (of trees)

Meanings

1 dense (of trees)
2 thick
3 ghastly
4 eerie

Characters

森

Examples

古柏森森，遮天蔽日。

Gǔ bǎi sēnsēn, zhē tiān bì rì.

The ancient cypresses stood thick and dense, blotting out the sky and sun.

山谷里寒气森森。

Shāngǔ lǐ hánqì sēnsēn.

An eerie chill hung over the valley.

Tips

usage

森森 has two distinct flavours: literal 'densely wooded' (古木森森 'ancient trees in dense growth') and figurative 'eerie / spine-chilling' (寒气森森, 阴气森森). The reduplicated form is largely literary and shows up in scenery descriptions and ghost-story atmospherics.