1
as in startling
causing a strong emotional reaction because of unexpectedness
we all clustered around to hear the shocking news of our colleague's sudden death
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in terrifying
causing fear
the shocking appearance of a shark just a few yards off shore
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sickening
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
the shocking behavior of some rowdies at the dance
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4
as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
a soldier who had witnessed the shocking sight of his best friend being killed
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in appalling
to cause an unpleasant surprise for
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in surprising
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
were shocked by the way the law against public intoxication was constantly being broken
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3
as in frightening
to strike with fear
the sudden appearance of the ghost shocked us to the core
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shocking
Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 July 2025
But what really put them in the public eye was something totally unrelated: the shocking death of one of their number in April 1919.
—Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 July 2025
Daniel D'addario, Variety, 21 Oct. 2024
But rather than play up the murders’ shocking gore or give momentum to Lois’ investigation, the first few episodes are content to linger in the investigator’s ennui.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 4 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for shocking
Adjective
In a TikTok video, mother Mackenzie Dodd summed up the whiplash of noticing something minor about her newborn baby, only to discover a shocking diagnosis.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 July 2025
But what really put them in the public eye was something totally unrelated: the shocking death of one of their number in April 1919.
—Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 July 2025
Verb
In the show’s two signature numbers, both of them Norma’s declarations of her own worthiness, Scherzinger stands at center stage and belts with shocking vocal power and agility, surrounded by purgatorial swirls of smoke and blown out by that Lloydian white light.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 21 Oct. 2024
But rather than play up the murders’ shocking gore or give momentum to Lois’ investigation, the first few episodes are content to linger in the investigator’s ennui.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 4 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for shocking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shocking
Adjective
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The startling discovery was made Wednesday, July 16, at House of Refuge beach, about a 105-mile drive north from Miami.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
18 July 2025
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This was a startling rebuke to those who have argued for years that Syria should avert another dictatorship by conferring greater power on local authorities.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
18 July 2025
Adjective
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But a week later, what had been named the Dragon Bravo Fire hit a patch of fuel and took on a terrifying character in new gusts of wind, surrounding overwhelmed firefighters on a helipad and heading with unstoppable force to the south.—
Tom Zoellner,
AZCentral.com,
25 July 2025
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In the meantime, Brandy has been reflecting on the terrifying experience.—
Wendy Grossman Kantor,
People.com,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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Members of the furry community around the globe teamed up to comb through the Telegram channel and find the perpetrators behind the sickening animal torture and abuse.—
Melissa Locker,
Time,
17 July 2025
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Greater Boston communities at the center of the ongoing sanitation worker strike are taking Republic Services to court, seeking immediate relief as trash piles mount, attracting rats and giving off a sickening stench.—
Lance Reynolds,
Boston Herald,
17 July 2025
Adjective
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But the gruesome truth remains — more than 120 are people are dead, including children.—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
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Other all-original haunted houses will include Jason Universe, which takes guests back to the summer camp where, one Friday the 13th, the gruesome legend was born.—
Tom Tapp,
Deadline,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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Under the temporary guidance of Austin FC coach Nico Estévez, MLS came out with a proactive approach, surprising Liga MX’s team with genuine high-pressing and determined counterattacks.—
Jeff Rueter,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
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Chris Paul is all smiles while surprising The Tonight Show audience with his Good Eat'n snacks, as Jimmy Fallon presents him with a new Clippers jersey.—
Alexandra Schonfeld,
People.com,
24 July 2025
Adjective
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Through it all, the Jurassic Park franchise continued to break new ground, surprising and captivating audiences with fresh, new and unexpected developments in each installment, made all the more vivid, realistic and frightening with the latest in CGI and believable acting.—
Jan Wagner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 July 2025
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Perhaps most frightening of all is the fact that, in rural areas, such calamity occurs before any official help can arrive.—
Jessica Pishko,
New Yorker,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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Nearly 200 pounds of disgusting mats and fur was removed, which equates to an average of 1.5 pounds per dog.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 July 2025
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There is no way around it: Toilet brushes are disgusting.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
16 July 2025
Adjective
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California homeowner’s insurance premiums were already rising before the horrific Southern California wildfires in January.—
Scott Cohn,
CNBC,
11 July 2025
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Family recounts parents' efforts to save children The family of the two children who died in the flooding recounted in a GoFundMe page the horrific moment floodwaters swept the young siblings away and the desperate attempt by their parents to save their lives.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shocking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shocking. Accessed 1 Aug. 2025.
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