shock wave

American  

noun

1. a region of abrupt change of pressure and density moving as a wave front at or above the velocity of sound, caused by an intense explosion or supersonic flow over a body.

2. a repercussion from a startling event or upheaval; series of aftereffects.

   shock waves from the recent collapse of one of the nation's largest banks.

---

shock wave British  

noun

1. Often shortened to: shock.  a region across which there is a rapid pressure, temperature, and density rise, usually caused by a body moving supersonically in a gas or by a detonation See also sonic boom shock tube

2. a feeling of shock, horror, surprise, etc that affects many people as it spreads through a community

3. the effect created on a queue of moving cars in the lane of a motorway when one car brakes suddenly and the cars behind have to brake as well, causing cars to slow down, sometimes for miles behind the first braking car

---

shock wave Scientific  

1. A large-amplitude wave formed by the sudden compression of the medium through which the wave moves. Shock waves can be caused by explosions or by objects moving through a fluid at a speed greater than the speed of sound.

---

Etymology

Origin of shock wave

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shock wave

An El Niño shock wave is moving across pockets of the global economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

Some may instead brighten when the explosion's shock wave crashes into surrounding material.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026

Emails detailing the proposed new deal—and exit option—hit agents’ inboxes after the Las Vegas event, setting off an internal shock wave, agents said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

In a post on Facebook, the council also quoted eyewitnesses as saying that the shock wave was palpable, and all emergency services quickly arrived at the scene.

From BBC ● Mar. 23, 2026

Whenever a plane travels that fast, it creates a shock wave called a sonic boom that sounds like a loud clap of thunder.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson