戛然而止 jiárán'érzhǐ to stop abruptly Definitions Defs Origin Strokes Stroke Words Sentences Sents 戛然 jiárán abruptly (literary) describes a sound or an event that stops suddenly and abruptly而 ér particleconjunction [adverbial linker] Connects an adverb-like description to the following verb to show the manner, cause, or basis of an action.止 zhǐ verb to stop to come to a halt; to cease; to stay stationary