shell shock

American  

noun

1. battle fatigue.

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shell shock British  

noun

1. Also called: combat neurosis.  loss of sight, memory, etc, resulting from psychological strain during prolonged engagement in warfare

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Other Word Forms

• shell-shocked adjective
• shellshocked adjective

Etymology

Origin of shell shock

First recorded in 1915–20

Compare meaning

How does shell-shock compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• shell shock vs. PTSD

Example Sentences

Veterans of World War II were instead thought to suffer “shell shock” or “combat fatigue.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Three-year-old Yuna, who has shell shock, arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden on 17 August and stayed inside her enclosure for a week.

From BBC

Yuna, a three-year-old lioness, has shell shock but it is hoped she can now heal at her new home at The Big Cat Sanctuary, in Smarden.

From BBC

Doctors then discovered he was suffering from shell shock.

From BBC

Under the stress of trench warfare, some soldiers seemed to suffer nervous breakdowns, a condition that became known as shell shock.

From Literature