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
Beverly Cleary… I am so shocked to see him that I do not know what to do.—Jane Austen
Jane Austen
b
: showing or expressing shock
Her voice faltered as she saw the shocked amazement on her father's face.—Mary Norton
Mary NortonIn place of a roar at the end of the year's most anticipated race, there was only a shocked silence.—Tim Layden
Tim Layden2
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
Stephen Jay GouldExamples 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
The following summer, in August 2024, she was shocked to see her renewal cost.
—Ben Pickman, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
As Orlean jots down that last bit, Laroche looks shocked—but also a little charmed.
—Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2025
Spotting movement in the nearby brush, Auggie fires his shotgun and blasts off the hands of a shocked, screaming extraterrestrial.
—Scott Meslow, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
Inside the West Wing, staff sat in shocked silence, scrolling to see the latest updates of news on their phones and messages on their computer screens.
—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shocked
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Ben Pickman, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
As Orlean jots down that last bit, Laroche looks shocked—but also a little charmed.
—Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2025
Spotting movement in the nearby brush, Auggie fires his shotgun and blasts off the hands of a shocked, screaming extraterrestrial.
—Scott Meslow, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
Inside the West Wing, staff sat in shocked silence, scrolling to see the latest updates of news on their phones and messages on their computer screens.
—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shocked
Cite this Entry
“Shocked.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shocked. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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