shock

noun
UK: /ʃɒk/
US: /ʃɑːk/

  1. A sudden upsetting or surprising event or experience.

    1. The bad news was a shock. [ ] [ ]
    2. It was quite a shock to discover that I had won the lottery unexpectedly. [ ] [ ]

  2. A medical condition caused by a sudden drop in blood flow in the body.

    1. He went into shock after the accident. [ ] [ ]
    2. The doctor said she was in shock, and they needed to act quickly to stabilize her. [ ] [ ]

  3. An electric shock is a sudden, painful feeling that you get when electricity flows through your body.

    1. Don't touch it or you'll get a shock! [ ] [ ]
    2. He received a nasty shock when he touched the live wire while trying to fix the lamp. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

surprise outrage impact shake jolt disturb astound stun trauma
shock verb

  1. To surprise or upset someone greatly.

    1. It shocked me to hear the news. [ ] [ ]
    2. The graphic images in the movie were designed to shock the audience with violence. [ ] [ ]

  2. To cause someone to feel sudden, severe pain because of electricity.

    1. The wire shocked him when he touched it. [ ] [ ]
    2. Faulty wiring can shock anyone who comes into contact with a damaged appliance. [ ] [ ]
shock adjective

  1. Intended to cause a feeling of surprise and usually disapproval.

    1. It was a shock tactic. [ ] [ ]
    2. The politician's comments were considered a shock statement intended to grab attention. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "shock" in English means: A sudden upsetting or surprising event or experience., A medical condition caused by a sudden drop in blood flow in the body., An electric shock is a sudden, painful feeling that you get when electricity flows through your body..

The phonetic transcription of "shock" is /ʃɒk/ in British English and /ʃɑːk/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "shock": surprise, outrage, impact, shake, jolt, disturb, astound, stun, trauma.

Example usage of "shock": "The bad news was a shock.". More examples on the page.