shook up

1 of 2

adjective

variants or less commonly shook-up

ˌshu̇k-ˈəp 

informal

: nervously upset : agitated, shaken

The driver of the southbound car was not injured but "was shook up from the ordeal," the department said.

—Amy B. Wang

shook up

2 of 2

past tense and chiefly dialectal past participle of shake up

Examples of shook up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

But the Workers’ Party (PT) leader, who was accused of arrogance and of failing to understand the needs of young gig-economy workers, shook up his strategy, said Igor Gielow in Folha de São Paulo. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 31 Oct. 2026

The two newcomers shook up the dynamic on the five-member City Commission. — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026

Dickerson's injury shook up the offensive line, moving Jurgens to left guard and giving Drew Kendall his first start at center. — Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026

Designer Jae Tips shook up the sneaker collaboration landscape in March by leaving longtime partner Saucony to begin a new relationship with Nike. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1550, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for shook up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

shook-up

adjective

ˌshu̇k-ˈəp

: nervously upset : agitated