Common Meanings
1
sǒng耸
To rise up; to stand erect or tall; towering.
远处的山峰高耸入云。
The distant mountain peaks tower into the clouds.
To alarm or shock, often used to describe sensational news or an event that causes public stir.
关于那次发现的传闻，真是耸人听闻。
The rumors about that discovery are truly sensational.
In its archaic usage, '耸' can imply being unresponsive or unwilling to hear, leading to a state of being dull-witted or muddle-headed, akin to 'deaf and blind'.
长期的固执，让他对外界的建议变得耸然不闻，最终决策显得有些昏聩
Long-term stubbornness made him deaf to external advice, and his final decisions seemed a bit muddle-headed.