shocked

adjective

ˈshäkt 

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

… I am so shocked to see him that I do not know what to do.

—Jane Austen

b

: showing or expressing shock

Her voice faltered as she saw the shocked amazement on her father's face.

—Mary Norton

In place of a roar at the end of the year's most anticipated race, there was only a shocked silence.

—Tim Layden

2

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

Synonyms of shocked

• stunned
• amazed
• surprised
• astonished
• horrified
• appalled

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

But something fascinating was happening behind the scenes, coinciding with the disaster that had sent Olin overseas and left her bandmates, Augustin and Nathan Slone — located in New York City — shocked. — Julius Miller, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Shell-shocked, Daemon appears ready to woozily charge into his final battle, death with his sword swinging. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026

Owens immediately went after Balor and Gunther while Zayn stood in the ring shocked. — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026

But the night went from spooky to spellbinding when the stars of the beloved 1998 fantasy film revealed themselves to the shocked crowd of fans. — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1675, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing shocked

• shell-shocked
• shocked and dismayed

Rhymes for shocked

• concoct
• deadlocked
• landlocked
• padlocked
• unblocked
• unlocked
• balked
• blocked
• chalked
• clocked
• cocked
• docked