The word "万籁俱寂" is formed through a literal composition where "万" means myriad, "籁" refers to sounds, particularly those from nature, so "万籁" collectively denotes all sounds; "俱" means all or entirely, and "寂" means silent, so "俱寂" indicates completely silent. Together, the phrase directly conveys that all sounds are utterly still, resulting in a description of total silence.