shocking
Americanadjective
-
causing intense surprise, disgust, horror, etc.
- Synonyms:
- appalling, startling, astounding, staggering
-
very bad.
shocking manners.
adjective
-
causing shock, horror, or disgust
-
a vivid or garish shade of pink
-
informal very bad or terrible
shocking weather
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of shocking
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Shocking as this news was, the commentary was even more ominous.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026
Shocking in the moment and forgotten before the day is out, like a dead animal spotted on a morning walk.
From Salon • Nov. 7, 2025
Shocking scenes at the World Conker Championships, the vicious sport that has sharpened the martial instincts of centuries of British schoolchildren.
From Barron's • Oct. 17, 2025
Shocking images of the destructive Eaton and Palisades fires in January, followed by the immigration crackdown in June, made global news and repelled visitors.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 29, 2025
“I think she was surprised. And perhaps her feelings were hurt. She certainly didn’t express herself very well. Shocking, really, that a romance novelist could be so inept at the language of the heart.”
From "Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures" by Kate DiCamillo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
