electric shock
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of electric shock
First recorded in 1940–45
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.
As a result of our investigation, the BBC understands the government will now investigate the historical use of electric shock therapy in the NHS.
From BBC ● Dec. 5, 2025
It was "an electric shock, a wake-up call about what changing our diets can mean for intensive animal farming and for deforestation", said the 63-year-old retiree, who lives in Ermenonville, an hour from Paris.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2025
On doorsteps, put down mats that cause a mild electric shock when a bear steps on them; they’re called “unwelcome mats.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 9, 2025
Depending on the severity of the crash, an electric vehicle’s high-voltage, lithium ion battery could be at risk of being damaged, catching fire or delivering an electric shock to anyone who touches it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 30, 2025
But now her eyes shone and her cheeks were rosy; it was possible to believe that if she touched his arm again, he’d get an electric shock.
From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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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.