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
Oliver’s phone call in particular is ridiculously timed, calculated for maximum shock value.
—
Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2025
So is observer bias, with crowd approval often directly proportional to shock value (the suffix -ussy winning in 2022; rawdog in 2024).
—Literary Hub, 13 Nov. 2025
That being said, there’s more going on here than shock value, as Franju’s film also excels as a beautifully shot work of art and as a haunting meditation on identity.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Minnesota Twins fans would be hard-pressed to find shock value in any player leaving their favorite team nowadays.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shock value
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Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2025
So is observer bias, with crowd approval often directly proportional to shock value (the suffix -ussy winning in 2022; rawdog in 2024).
—Literary Hub, 13 Nov. 2025
That being said, there’s more going on here than shock value, as Franju’s film also excels as a beautifully shot work of art and as a haunting meditation on identity.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Minnesota Twins fans would be hard-pressed to find shock value in any player leaving their favorite team nowadays.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 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 6 Dec. 2025.
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