: 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
Keefe’s new book investigates the shocking 2019 death of Zac Brettler, a 19-year-old who plummeted from the fifth-floor balcony of a luxury London apartment building into the River Thames.
—
Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 9 Apr. 2026
The woman’s daughter, a miniature artist named Annie played by Toni Collette, begins to uncover disturbing secrets just as the family is thrown into personal tragedy when their 13-year-old daughter, Charlie, dies in a shocking car accident while her older brother is behind the wheel.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2026
The depth of Hans’ work is pretty shocking.
—Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2026
But Harris dramatically narrowed the gap from his previous loss to Greene in 2024, with several heavily Republican counties swinging by a shocking 25% away from the GOP.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shocking
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Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 9 Apr. 2026
The woman’s daughter, a miniature artist named Annie played by Toni Collette, begins to uncover disturbing secrets just as the family is thrown into personal tragedy when their 13-year-old daughter, Charlie, dies in a shocking car accident while her older brother is behind the wheel.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2026
The depth of Hans’ work is pretty shocking.
—Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2026
But Harris dramatically narrowed the gap from his previous loss to Greene in 2024, with several heavily Republican counties swinging by a shocking 25% away from the GOP.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 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 13 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shocking
adjective
shock·ing
: causing horror or disgust
a shocking crime
shocking behavior
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