rude awakening

noun

1. an occurrence of being made to face an unpleasant fact

Example Sentences

If the change is unpleasant, it is “a rude awakening.”

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On the other hand, Lady Constance’s shock and distaste at meeting people less fortunate than her pampered self had the potential to be a rude awakening—that is, if the lady had shown any signs of waking up.

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The reality is that the government reopening is not a sunshine-filled solution for SNAP, but rather a rude awakening to the fact that the food assistance program was quietly being dismantled long before the shutdown.

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Ukraine underwent a similar rude awakening to the nature of global power politics after it surrendered its Soviet-era nuclear weapons in the 1990s.

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Also, keep in mind that if your travel plans include national parks or other federally operated sites, you might be in for a rude awakening.

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