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

Examples of culture shock in a Sentence

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

Yes, travel often comes with delays, detours, lost luggage and even culture shock. —Amy Poeppel, People.com, 11 June 2025

This helps explain the culture shock that runs through Hollywood memoirs by S. J. Perelman and others; they were used to making commercial art, but not to the brutal truths of American commerce being made so brutal. —Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 9 June 2025

Reuben Sandoy helped Phoebe Merrick adjust to various culture shocks about living in New Zealand, like learning to drive on the other side of the road. —Jennifer Liu zachary Green, CNBC, 5 June 2025

Teams used to collaboration won't integrate well with hierarchical decision-making, and teams valuing structure will face culture shock in a fast-paced, fail-fast-and-iterate environment. —Michelle Debella, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for culture shock

• electroshock
• aftershock
• antiknock
• arawak
• hollyhock
• interlock
• isopach
• manioc
• shuttlecock
• tomahawk
• weathercock
• alcock

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