shocker

noun

shock·​er ˈshä-kər How to pronounce shocker (audio)
: one that shocks
especially : something horrifying or offensive (such as a sensational film or work of fiction)

Examples of shocker in a Sentence

The ending of the movie is a real shocker. Their divorce was a shocker.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Meanwhile, Justin Herbert’s late-game heroics (under pressure, shocker) put a small Band-Aid over their multi-game slide. The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025 Rather than resting on her laurels after all of the awards and acclaim, the actor went bolder, taking center stage in Lars von Trier’s arthouse shocker tracking a troubled woman hiding out from her volatile gangster father in a rural Colorado community that eventually turns against her. Radhika Seth, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025 In another shocker elimination, Baldwin was sent home. Lynette Rice, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2025 That’s kind of a shocker, and that propelled the whole thing forward. Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shocker

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1824, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shocker was circa 1824

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shocker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shocker. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on shocker

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!