: 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
In fact, recruitment data from Robert Walters show that a shocking 46% of new hires fail within their first 18 months.
—
Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Fresh spinach requires large quantities and multiple steps—blanching, shocking, and squeezing—just to yield a usable amount.
—Amber Love Bond, Southern Living, 29 Jan. 2026
Its twists are as shocking as those in a conventional thriller, and Cretton is a master of selling emotions and entire character arcs with a single shot.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
In a shocking piece of reporting, Cora Engelbrecht speaks to five Iranians who were present at the massacre and—with the help of video evidence and illustrations by Matt Huynh—shares their stories.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shocking
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Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Fresh spinach requires large quantities and multiple steps—blanching, shocking, and squeezing—just to yield a usable amount.
—Amber Love Bond, Southern Living, 29 Jan. 2026
Its twists are as shocking as those in a conventional thriller, and Cretton is a master of selling emotions and entire character arcs with a single shot.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
In a shocking piece of reporting, Cora Engelbrecht speaks to five Iranians who were present at the massacre and—with the help of video evidence and illustrations by Matt Huynh—shares their stories.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 29 Jan. 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 5 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shocking
adjective
shock·ing
: causing horror or disgust
a shocking crime
shocking behavior
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