shocking

adjective

shock·​ing ˈshä-kiŋ How to pronounce shocking (audio)
: extremely startling, distressing, or offensive
shocking news
shockingly adverb

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
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.
In November 1963, President Kennedy was shot and killed during a motorcade in Dallas, and the shocking moment instigated a period of mourning across the nation. Thomas Smith, Billboard, 29 Nov. 2024 See 20 of the year's most shocking splits, including Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, Channing Tatum and Zoë Kravitz and Cardi B and Offset Comments These celebrity breakups had everybody talking. 2024 saw several A-list couples split, whether that was quietly, publicly or — sometimes — messily. Brendan Le, People.com, 28 Nov. 2024 The show is jam-packed with shocking twists and turns, culminating in a dizzying finale that concludes Muncie’s journey. Barry Levitt, TIME, 28 Nov. 2024 The Thunder beat the Suns to kick off NBA Cup play, then fell to the Spurs in a shocking loss to get to 1-1 in this stage. Nick Crain, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for shocking 

Word History

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shocking was in 1653

Dictionary Entries Near shocking

Cite this Entry

“Shocking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shocking. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

shocking

adjective
shock·​ing
: causing horror or disgust
a shocking crime
shocking behavior
shockingly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on shocking

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!