shock

1 of 6

noun (1)

ˈshäk 

often attributive

1

a(1)

: a sudden or violent mental or emotional disturbance

(2)

: a disturbance in the equilibrium or permanence of something

b

: something that causes such disturbance

the loss came as a shock

c

: a state of being so disturbed

were in shock after they heard the news

2

: a state of profound depression of the vital processes associated with reduced blood volume and pressure and caused usually by severe especially crushing injuries, hemorrhage, or burns

3

: sudden stimulation of the nerves and convulsive contraction of the muscles caused by the discharge of electricity through the animal body

4

: shock absorber

5

a

: a violent shake or jar : concussion

b

: an effect of such violence

6

a

: stroke sense 5

b

: coronary thrombosis

7

: the impact or encounter of individuals or groups in combat

shock

2 of 6

verb (1)

shocked; shocking; shocks

transitive verb

1

a

: to strike with surprise, terror, horror, or disgust

b

: to cause to undergo a physical or nervous shock

c

: to subject to the action of an electrical discharge

2

: to drive by or as if by a shock

intransitive verb

1

: to cause surprise or shock

an exhibit meant to shock

2

: to meet with a shock : collide

3

cooking : to halt further cooking of (a vegetable) by submerging in ice water

If you blanch and shock your vegetables (cook them quickly in boiling water, then immerse them in ice water), you'll get a perfectly cooked texture and a nice vibrant color. Once you've done that, you can easily sauté, dress, or grill them.

—Amanda Freitag

Another way to prevent overcooking is to shock the asparagus in an ice bath … The cold water will stop the cooking process as well as bring out the vegetable's naturally bright color and maintain its crisp texture.

—Grace Haynes

shockable

ˈshä-kə-bəl 

adjective

shock

3 of 6

noun (2)

: a thick bushy mass (as of hair)

shock

4 of 6

adjective

: bushy, shaggy

shock

5 of 6

noun (3)

: a pile of sheaves of grain or stalks of corn set up in a field with the butt ends down

shock

6 of 6

verb (2)

shocked; shocking; shocks

transitive verb

: to collect into shocks

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• bump
• collision
• concussion
• crash
• impact
• impingement
• jar
• jolt
• jounce
• kick
• slam
• smash
• strike
• wallop

Verb (1)

• appall
• appal
• floor
• jolt
• shake up

Choose the Right Synonym for shock

impact, collision, shock, concussion mean a forceful, even violent contact between two or more things.

impact may be used to imply contact between two things, at least one of which is impelled toward the other.

the glass shattered on impact with the floor

collision implies the coming together of two or more things with such force that both or all are damaged or their progress is severely impeded.

the collision damaged the vehicle

shock often denotes the effect produced by a collision and carries the suggestion of something that strikes or hits with force.

the shock of falling rocks

concussion when not in technical use, often suggests the shattering, disrupting, or weakening effects of a collision, explosion, or blow.

bystanders felt the concussion of the blast

Examples of shock in a Sentence

Noun (1)

the whole railway platform shook from the shock of the two trains colliding

were in shock after they heard the news of the death of the president

Verb (1)

Mom was shocked by the terrible news that her cousin had died in an accident

I was shocked to find out that I was the victim of identity theft

were shocked by the way the law against public intoxication was constantly being broken

the sudden appearance of the ghost shocked us to the core

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Officers evacuated students from classrooms, as students walked away in shock. —Graham Hurley, Aaron Fisher and Katherine Jennings, CNN Money, 19 Apr. 2025

Julian arrives at the bank as Olympia is standing in the vault, looking at the papers in shock. —Noel Murray, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2025

Adjective

As an aside, Better Pick: CL Stock Or KMB Stock? Returning to the pre-inflation shock level means that MGM stock will have to gain about 56% if the stock recovers from $32 currently to its pre-shock highs of $50 per share. —Trefis Team, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025

Returning to the pre-inflation shock level means that Disney stock will have to gain about 113% if the stock recovers from $93 currently to its pre-shock highs of about $200 per share. —Trefis Team, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024

Verb

The manhunt The slaying of Pascal shocked in the Upper Florida Keys community, which, while certainly not immune from crime, rarely experiences brutal murders. —David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2025

One father, a lawyer who teaches constitutional law, was shocked by the university’s roughshod treatment of his son and students and the ease with which administrators disregarded their rights. —Wynn Smiley, Baltimore Sun, 24 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle French choc, from choquer to strike against, from Old French choquier, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch schocken to jolt

Adjective

perhaps from shock entry 5

Noun (3)

Middle English; akin to Middle High German schoc heap

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1550, in the meaning defined at sense 7

Verb (1)

1575, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

Noun (2)

1819, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1681, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing shock

• anaphylactic shock
• anti-shock
• a shock to the/someone's system
• bow shock
• culture shock
• future shock
• heat shock protein
• in a state of shock
• in for a rude shock
• insulin shock
• osmotic shock
• rude shock
• septic shock
• shell shock
• shock absorber
• shock front
• shock horror
• shock jock
• shock of someone's life
• shock radio/TV
• shock tactics
• shock therapy
• shock troops
• shock tube
• shock value
• shock wave
• sticker shock
• toxic shock
• toxic shock syndrome

Rhymes for shock

• balk
• baulk
• bloc
• bock
• broch
• brock
• calk
• caulk
• chalk
• chock
• clock
• cock

Kids Definition

shock

1 of 4 noun

ˈshäk 

: a bunch of sheaves of grain or stalks of corn set on end (as in a field)

shock

2 of 4 noun

1

: the sudden violent collision of bodies in a fight

the shock of combat

2

: a violent shake or jerk

an earthquake shock

3

a

: a sudden or violent disturbance of the mind or feelings

the shock of defeat

b

: something that causes such a disturbance

the news came as a shock

c

: a state of being so disturbed

were in shock when they heard the true story

4

: a state of bodily collapse that is often marked by a drop in blood pressure and volume and that is usually caused by a severe injury, burn, or hemorrhage

5

: the effect of a strong charge of electricity passing through the body of a person or animal

shock

3 of 4 verb

1

: to strike with surprise, horror, or disgust

were shocked by her behavior

2

: to affect by electrical shock

3

: to drive into or out of by or as if by a shock

shocked the public into action

shocker noun

shock

4 of 4 noun

: a thick bushy mass

a shock of hair

Etymology

Noun

Middle English shock "bunch of stalks"

Noun

from early French choc "a violent collision, shock," from choquer (verb) "to strike against," from earlier choquier (same meaning); probably of Germanic origin

Noun

from earlier shock (adjective) "bushy," probably derived from shock (noun) "a bunch of stalks" because of the similarity of the appearance of bushy hair to a bunch of stalks of grain

Medical Definition

shock

1 of 2 noun

ˈshäk 

1

: a sudden or violent disturbance in the mental or emotional faculties

2

: a state of profound depression of the vital processes of the body that is characterized by pallor, rapid but weak pulse, rapid and shallow respiration, reduced total blood volume, and low blood pressure and that is caused usually by severe especially crushing injuries, hemorrhage, burns, or major surgery

3

: sudden stimulation of the nerves or convulsive contraction of the muscles that is caused by the discharge through the animal body of electricity from a charged source compare electroconvulsive therapy

shock

2 of 2 transitive verb

1

: to cause to undergo a physical or nervous shock

2

: to subject to the action of an electrical discharge

Legal Definition

shock

adjective

: of, relating to, or being a criminal sentence or condition of release involving participation in a program of vigorous physical training, discipline, regimentation, and rehabilitation therapy

shock incarceration

shock probation

shock parole