1
a
: affected by shock : stricken with sudden mental or emotional disturbance
"Oh, no!" Mrs. Quimby was shocked. "How much is that going to cost?"—
Beverly Cleary
Beverly Cleary… I am so shocked to see him that I do not know what to do.—Jane Austen
Jane Austen
b
: showing or expressing shock
Her voice faltered as she saw the shocked amazement on her father's face.—Mary Norton
Mary NortonIn place of a roar at the end of the year's most anticipated race, there was only a shocked silence.—Tim Layden
Tim Layden2
of a mineral
: having a crystal structure that has been deformed by exposure to sudden extremely high pressure (as from a meteorite impact or a nuclear blast)
Grains of shocked quartz have long been used as criteria for impact (extraterrestrial objects or nuclear bombs) …—Stephen Jay Gould
Stephen Jay GouldExamples of shocked in a Sentence
the escaping bridegroom bid farewell to the shocked wedding guests as he ran out the door
we were shocked at the appalling conditions in the prison
the hikers were so shocked at the sight of a bear that they didn't dare move
Recent Examples on the Web
Feel that stretch in your shoulders, and in your capacity to still be shocked, six months into Trump’s second term.
—Jena Friedman, New Yorker, 25 June 2025
Matlin appears shocked but somewhat timid when Hurt, who presented her with the award after winning the previous year's Best Actor statue for Kiss of the Spider Woman, calls and then signs her name.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 23 June 2025
Footage of a violent outburst aboard a Southwest Airlines flight shows a woman spitting, screaming, and yanking another passenger's hair as shocked travelers look on.
—Darlin Tillery, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
Related article Fever dream: Caitlin Clark and her teammates are still shocked – and inspired – by the circus following their team
Connecticut’s Marina Mabrey then came charging into the scuffle and bumped Clark hard to the ground.
—Matias Grez, CNN Money, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for shocked
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Jena Friedman, New Yorker, 25 June 2025
Matlin appears shocked but somewhat timid when Hurt, who presented her with the award after winning the previous year's Best Actor statue for Kiss of the Spider Woman, calls and then signs her name.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 23 June 2025
Footage of a violent outburst aboard a Southwest Airlines flight shows a woman spitting, screaming, and yanking another passenger's hair as shocked travelers look on.
—Darlin Tillery, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
Related article Fever dream: Caitlin Clark and her teammates are still shocked – and inspired – by the circus following their team
Connecticut’s Marina Mabrey then came charging into the scuffle and bumped Clark hard to the ground.
—Matias Grez, CNN Money, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for shocked
Cite this Entry
“Shocked.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shocked. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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