culture shock

noun

: a sense of confusion and uncertainty sometimes with feelings of anxiety that may affect people exposed to an alien culture or environment without adequate preparation

Example Sentences

Foreign students often experience culture shock when they first come to the U.S. Moving to the city was a huge culture shock for him.
Recent Examples on the Web So coaching in Southern California was culture shock. Luca Evans, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2023 Steve Yegge, another esteemed author in the genre of 'ex-Google employee calls out the company,' described the culture shock of moving to Android from another part of Google. Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 16 Feb. 2023 Meanwhile, her reunion with the paternal side of the family is rife with culture shock. Odie Henderson, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Mar. 2023 But what might have followed the familiar path of culture shock and discovery of one’s roots, in this story by French Cambodian filmmaker Davy Chou — Cambodia’s official Oscar submission — becomes something else entirely. Michael O'sullivan, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2023 Of course, culture shock works the other way around, too, and the image of Southerners who venture to the cold, bitter North for college only to be met by cultural snobbism and insulting assumptions about their identities is itself a stereotype. Nicole Laporte, Town & Country, 2 Oct. 2022 No real culture shock for me coming back from Panama. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 3 Mar. 2021 Women’s participation in the economy was another culture shock. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 15 July 2022 These articles include manuals for coping with stress, advice for dealing with culture shock, and personal stories from others who’ve left Russia and have succeeded personally and professionally. Pranshu Verma, Washington Post, 15 Oct. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'culture shock.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of culture shock was in 1932

Dictionary Entries Near culture shock

Cite this Entry

“Culture shock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture%20shock. Accessed 30 Mar. 2023.

Medical Definition

culture shock

noun
: a sense of confusion and uncertainty sometimes with feelings of anxiety that may affect people exposed to an alien culture or environment without adequate preparation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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