1
a
: affected by shock : stricken with sudden mental or emotional disturbance
"Oh, no!" Mrs. Quimby was shocked. "How much is that going to cost?"—
Beverly Cleary
Beverly Cleary… I am so shocked to see him that I do not know what to do.—Jane Austen
Jane Austen
b
: showing or expressing shock
Her voice faltered as she saw the shocked amazement on her father's face.—Mary Norton
Mary NortonIn place of a roar at the end of the year's most anticipated race, there was only a shocked silence.—Tim Layden
Tim Layden2
of a mineral
: having a crystal structure that has been deformed by exposure to sudden extremely high pressure (as from a meteorite impact or a nuclear blast)
Grains of shocked quartz have long been used as criteria for impact (extraterrestrial objects or nuclear bombs) …—Stephen Jay Gould
Stephen Jay GouldExamples of shocked in a Sentence
the escaping bridegroom bid farewell to the shocked wedding guests as he ran out the door
we were shocked at the appalling conditions in the prison
the hikers were so shocked at the sight of a bear that they didn't dare move
Recent Examples on the Web
Still, most of the media coverage has been framed with shocked outrage, and appropriately so.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The mayor’s dismissal of prayer didn’t provide the right tone for the grieving and shocked families.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
After further testing, doctors told her shocked parents that their daughter had been diagnosed with stage 4 of a rare, incurable brain disease called Moyamoya.
—Gillian Telling, People.com, 24 Aug. 2025
What is really taking risks in comedy, which isn't just saying the R word or saying something so filthy that people are shocked.
—H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shocked
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The mayor’s dismissal of prayer didn’t provide the right tone for the grieving and shocked families.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
After further testing, doctors told her shocked parents that their daughter had been diagnosed with stage 4 of a rare, incurable brain disease called Moyamoya.
—Gillian Telling, People.com, 24 Aug. 2025
What is really taking risks in comedy, which isn't just saying the R word or saying something so filthy that people are shocked.
—H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shocked
Cite this Entry
“Shocked.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shocked. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share