: 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
Doncic has been extremely impressive in every appearance for the Lakers this season, marking his second year with the team after being traded midseason last year from the Dallas Mavericks in one of the most shocking moves in NBA history.
—
Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is gearing up for a wild return after season 2 ended with a shocking allegation of infidelity.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Nov. 2025
The news is unexpected, given Bergeron’s shocking dismissal from the ABC hit reality competition series in 2020 after hosting for 15 years, and his subsequent explanations as to why.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025
No More Shame, which focuses on the shocking rape trial of Gisèle Pelicot.
—Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shocking
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Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is gearing up for a wild return after season 2 ended with a shocking allegation of infidelity.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Nov. 2025
The news is unexpected, given Bergeron’s shocking dismissal from the ABC hit reality competition series in 2020 after hosting for 15 years, and his subsequent explanations as to why.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025
No More Shame, which focuses on the shocking rape trial of Gisèle Pelicot.
—Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shocking
Cite this Entry
“Shocking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shocking. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shocking
adjective
shock·ing
: causing horror or disgust
a shocking crime
shocking behavior
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