culture shock

noun

1. a state of bewilderment and distress experienced by an individual who is suddenly exposed to a new, strange, or foreign social and cultural environment.

culture shock

noun

1. sociol the feelings of isolation, rejection, etc, experienced when one culture is brought into sudden contact with another, as when a primitive tribe is confronted by modern civilization

Other Words From

• culture-shocked adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of culture shock¹

First recorded in 1955–60

Idioms and Phrases

A state of confusion and anxiety experienced by someone upon encountering an alien environment. For example, It's not just jet lag—it's the culture shock of being in a new country . This term was first used by social scientists to describe, for example, the experience of a person moving from the country to a big city. It is now used more loosely, as in the example. [Late 1930s]

Example Sentences

“That would be a culture shock for her, right after a full year of having all the attention,” says Aikey, who has vivid memories of the day her family bought Penny from a pet store in 2005, even though she was only in second grade.

From Time

Initially a blur of culture shock juxtaposed with her ongoing disenchantment, the journals track her obsession with her elusive, rakish colleague as well as her increasingly erratic state of mind.

From Washington Post

Ophir, an American by birth, says he experienced a bit of a culture shock when he moved to Israel.

From The Daily Beast

Upon joining the modern world, he was hit with horrendous culture shock (it was the mid-90s and he had never even seen a phone).

From The Daily Beast

When did you start getting attention from guys, and was that a sort of a culture shock for you?

From The Daily Beast

Moving from the West Bank to South Bend, Indiana—I imagine we're in for a big culture shock.

From The Daily Beast

According to Chastain, moving across the country to New York City was “scary” and “a culture shock.”

From The Daily Beast