culture shock

American  

noun

culture shocks plural

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.

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culture shock British  

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

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culture shock Idioms  

1. 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]

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• culture-shocked
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• culture shocks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of culture shock

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

Norishige Sato’s culture shock came in the form of the free chips and salsa that arrived unbidden at a Mexican restaurant in Texas.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026

Tristan Fender admits it was a "culture shock" when he moved to the city from Germany last year.

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

Edward, in his all-black leather outfit with his wild hair, is a visual culture shock, especially in comparison to the pastel world of the burbs he moves into.

From Salon • Nov. 26, 2025

Patel’s presence at the bureau has been something of a culture shock for a buttoned-up workforce, used to wearing suits and ties.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 12, 2025

I probably experienced less culture shock in Morocco than I had when I first arrived at Duke.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad