shocking

adjective

shock·​ing ˈshä-kiŋ 

: extremely startling, distressing, or offensive

shocking news

shockingly

ˈshä-kiŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms of shocking

• startling
• surprising
• amazing
• stunning
• astonishing

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

But before Gaethje pulled off one of the most shocking upsets in UFC history — and long before Gaethje emerged as a fan favorite — the Safford, Arizona, native grew up in a small mining town about two hours from the Mexican border. — Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 6 July 2026

Hell may hath no fury like a Red Devils squad feeling cheated after the shocking FIFA decision to allow Balogun to play tonight in Seattle. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 6 July 2026

The Packers then blew a 21-3 halftime lead in the Wild Card round against Chicago, gave up 25 fourth quarter points and eventually suffered a shocking 31-27 loss to the arch-rival Bears. — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026

Cape Verde began this run by making a statement, producing a shocking 0-0 draw against soccer powerhouse Spain on June 15 in its first-ever World Cup match. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 4 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing shocking

• shocking pink

Rhymes for shocking

• blocking
• calking
• caulking
• chalking
• clocking
• cocking
• docking
• flocking
• gawking
• knocking
• locking
• mocking

Kids Definition

shocking

adjective

shock·​ing

: causing horror or disgust

a shocking crime

shocking behavior

shockingly

-iŋ-lē 

adverb