shell-shocked

American

[shel-shahkt] / ˈʃɛlˌʃɑkt /

adjective

Archaic. suffering from battle fatigue or other post-traumatic stress disorder from war.

shell-shocked British

adjective

suffering from shell shock
in a state of stunned confusion or shock; dazed

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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shell-shocked

In the US, Aster was shell-shocked by what had happened - and was in a very bad way.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

She rushed to the Burbank-based network and observed her shell-shocked colleagues.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

A ferocious turning of the screw against a shell-shocked team.

From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2026

Bencic won 12 of the final 15 games against a shell-shocked Swiatek, earning her second victory over the world number two.

From Barron's ● Jan. 11, 2026

We wandered back toward home, two of us feeling a bit shell-shocked.

From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023