shocking

adjective

shock·​ing ˈshä-kiŋ How to pronounce shocking (audio)
: extremely startling, distressing, or offensive
shocking news
shockingly adverb

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
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.
And in a shocking twist, it was revealed that on one of the highest voting nights, no celebrity will be going home this week. Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Oct. 2025 Skims is back with another head-turner, with a shocking new line of thongs. Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025 Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold became the first smartphone to explode during a JerryRigEverything durability test, marking a shocking moment in YouTuber Zack Nelson’s decade-long history of stress-testing devices. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025 The Baltimore Ravens are heading into their bye week a shocking 1-5 after losing their fourth straight game, but reinforcements are on the way. Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shocking

Word History

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shocking was in 1653

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shocking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shocking. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

shocking

adjective
shock·​ing
: causing horror or disgust
a shocking crime
shocking behavior
shockingly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on shocking

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!