1
a
: affected by shock : stricken with sudden mental or emotional disturbance
"Oh, no!" Mrs. Quimby was shocked. "How much is that going to cost?"Beverly Cleary
… I am so shocked to see him that I do not know what to do.Jane Austen
b
: showing or expressing shock
Her voice faltered as she saw the shocked amazement on her father's face.Mary Norton
In place of a roar at the end of the year's most anticipated race, there was only a shocked silence.Tim Layden
2
of a mineral : having a crystal structure that has been deformed by exposure to sudden extremely high pressure (as from a meteorite impact or a nuclear blast)
Grains of shocked quartz have long been used as criteria for impact (extraterrestrial objects or nuclear bombs) …Stephen Jay Gould

Examples of shocked in a Sentence

the escaping bridegroom bid farewell to the shocked wedding guests as he ran out the door we were shocked at the appalling conditions in the prison the hikers were so shocked at the sight of a bear that they didn't dare move
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.
One of its stars was just as shocked as the rest of us after finding out when everyone else did. Scott Thompson, Fox News, 25 Nov. 2024 Day 5 Kyoto The Japanese are shocked to hear that there isn’t a word in English to describe the sight of dappled light filtering through the leaves of a tree, a phenomenon currently holding all but my offspring spellbound. Matt Goulding, Travel + Leisure, 24 Nov. 2024 Back at Lallybroch, Claire and Jamie maneuver the shocked reactions of his family as Claire calmly shares her intel on how this upcoming revolution will result in the rich being persecuted and the king and queen being beheaded. Lincee Ray, EW.com, 23 Nov. 2024 In the Middle East, where the Biden administration has struggled for the last year or more to contain spiraling hostilities, news of Trump’s victory left many shocked. Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for shocked 

Word History

First Known Use

1675, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of shocked was in 1675

Dictionary Entries Near shocked

Cite this Entry

“Shocked.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shocked. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on shocked

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!