culture shock

American  

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.

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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

• culture-shocked adjective

Etymology

Origin of culture shock

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

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

From BBC

She said she feels “culture shock” seeing her son navigate the current admissions landscape—especially when it comes to pursuits outside of the classroom.

From The Wall Street Journal

A British couple detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan for seven-and-a-half months have described a "huge culture shock" after returning to the UK.

From BBC

It was a huge and, for many Imagineers, unwelcome culture shock.

From The Wall Street Journal

This culture shock played out a different way with the students Tran taught English to in Vietnam.

From Salon