shook up

1 of 2

adjective

variants or less commonly shook-up

ˌshu̇k-ˈəp 

informal

: nervously upset : agitated, shaken

The driver of the southbound car was not injured but "was shook up from the ordeal," the department said.

—Amy B. Wang

shook up

2 of 2

past tense and chiefly dialectal past participle of shake up

Examples of shook up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Poppi shook up the soda category with prebiotic fiber, low calorie and sugar counts and its fun marketing aimed at Generation Z and millennials. — Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 8 Nov. 2026

The overwhelming victory by the Democrats in the midterm elections shook up Wall Street this week. — ABC News, 7 Nov. 2026

Here’s to Hollywood voters, who also shook up their City Hall. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2026

But the Workers’ Party (PT) leader, who was accused of arrogance and of failing to understand the needs of young gig-economy workers, shook up his strategy, said Igor Gielow in Folha de São Paulo. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 31 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1550, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for shook up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

shook-up

adjective

ˌshu̇k-ˈəp

: nervously upset : agitated