shock value
noun
: usefulness to surprise and usually upset people
He uses offensive language for (its) shock value.
Examples of shock value in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The violent moments stay with you, not just because of their shock value, but because Hitchcock executes them with the care of a Flemish artist painting the triptych for a cathedral altar.
—
Tom Gliatto, People.com, 13 June 2025
The film is a remarkably auteur-y and artful delivery mechanism for high — and highly creative — shock value.
—Gráinne O'Hara Belluomo, Footwear News, 26 May 2025
Discussing Film: Another Simple Favor has some truly hilarious moments between Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, but makes some incredibly bizarre story decisions for the sake of cheap shock value.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
Ultimately, while The Substance got off to an intriguing start, the majority of the film and especially its goofy ending was mostly cheap shock value and amateurish satire built on the flimsiest premise imaginable.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
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Tom Gliatto, People.com, 13 June 2025
The film is a remarkably auteur-y and artful delivery mechanism for high — and highly creative — shock value.
—Gráinne O'Hara Belluomo, Footwear News, 26 May 2025
Discussing Film: Another Simple Favor has some truly hilarious moments between Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, but makes some incredibly bizarre story decisions for the sake of cheap shock value.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
Ultimately, while The Substance got off to an intriguing start, the majority of the film and especially its goofy ending was mostly cheap shock value and amateurish satire built on the flimsiest premise imaginable.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shock value
Cite this Entry
“Shock value.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shock%20value. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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