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 GouldSynonyms of shocked
Examples 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
Two years ago, Krina had been looking through photographs of her grandmother Judy, who died this February at age 79, when a particular image left her shocked.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025
Further fieldwork and analysis overturned the impact crater theory, as researchers found no signs of shocked quartz, melted rock, or other telltale traces of a high-energy collision.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 5 Dec. 2025
Several audience members looked shocked and confused as the meeting ended and commissioners put away papers, shrugged on jackets and walked out of the chambers.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 5 Dec. 2025
Video of the incident showed shocked college basketball fans looking at each other with their mouths agape at the coach’s outburst.
—Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shocked
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Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025
Further fieldwork and analysis overturned the impact crater theory, as researchers found no signs of shocked quartz, melted rock, or other telltale traces of a high-energy collision.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 5 Dec. 2025
Several audience members looked shocked and confused as the meeting ended and commissioners put away papers, shrugged on jackets and walked out of the chambers.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 5 Dec. 2025
Video of the incident showed shocked college basketball fans looking at each other with their mouths agape at the coach’s outburst.
—Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 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 14 Dec. 2025.
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