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

See Examples For:

culture shock

And culture shock: At one point in New York, Isaac Mtshali, the drummer, asks, “when do we have to go to register with the police?”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Seemingly unfazed by anything and immune to culture shock, Dudamel instantly jumped in, insisting that he felt right at home in L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

Bandy had only visited Paris for a week before, but she didn’t expect culture shock would affect her as much as it did.

From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026

McNamara said they try to "abide by the customs" as visitors, but tipping has been a culture shock.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

Nor were the women themselves immune from culture shock.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik