: extremely startling, distressing, or offensive
shocking news
Examples of shocking in a Sentence
The number of young teenagers who smoke is shocking.
a shocking waste of money
The building is in a shocking state.
Recent Examples on the Web
Pastor Stephen Perumalla said the circumstances are shocking.
—
Tony Aiello, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Dark, eerie, and paranoid (for good reason), the eight-episode season shifts back and forth from the casual grimness of an unwelcoming reality to the shocking frights of a stoner’s worst nightmare (the latter of which is shrewdly motivated by Rachel regularly smoking pot).
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 26 Mar. 2026
Bob Barker being a racist is not shocking.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2026
Disturbing visions and a shocking disappearance forces him to confront dark corners of his past.
—William Earl, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shocking
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.
Tony Aiello, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Dark, eerie, and paranoid (for good reason), the eight-episode season shifts back and forth from the casual grimness of an unwelcoming reality to the shocking frights of a stoner’s worst nightmare (the latter of which is shrewdly motivated by Rachel regularly smoking pot).
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 26 Mar. 2026
Bob Barker being a racist is not shocking.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2026
Disturbing visions and a shocking disappearance forces him to confront dark corners of his past.
—William Earl, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shocking
Cite this Entry
“Shocking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shocking. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shocking
adjective
shock·ing
: causing horror or disgust
a shocking crime
shocking behavior
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
