: extremely startling, distressing, or offensive
shocking news
Examples of shocking in a Sentence
The number of young teenagers who smoke is shocking.
a shocking waste of money
The building is in a shocking state.
Recent Examples on the Web
In addition to all the shocking Prime Day finds on sale now, J.Crew Factory is stepping up and dropping prices.
—
Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 9 July 2025
All those TikToks sharing the most important news of the week, or the Instagram influencers reacting to a shocking headline, or the YouTubers making video essays analyzing current events — all of these could not exist without the labor and specialized knowledge of journalists.
—Reia Li, AZCentral.com, 9 July 2025
With that in mind, the Yankees could make some shocking decisions in the next few weeks.
—Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
Finding a bullet near his bed was nothing short of shocking for the Nashville transplant.
—Craig Shoup, The Tennessean, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shocking
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Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 9 July 2025
All those TikToks sharing the most important news of the week, or the Instagram influencers reacting to a shocking headline, or the YouTubers making video essays analyzing current events — all of these could not exist without the labor and specialized knowledge of journalists.
—Reia Li, AZCentral.com, 9 July 2025
With that in mind, the Yankees could make some shocking decisions in the next few weeks.
—Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
Finding a bullet near his bed was nothing short of shocking for the Nashville transplant.
—Craig Shoup, The Tennessean, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shocking
Cite this Entry
“Shocking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shocking. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shocking
adjective
shock·ing
: causing horror or disgust
a shocking crime
shocking behavior
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