shocking

[shok-ing]

adjective

1. causing intense surprise, disgust, horror, etc.

   Synonyms: appalling, startling, astounding, staggering

2. very bad.

   shocking manners.

shocking

/ ˈʃɒkɪŋ /

adjective

1. causing shock, horror, or disgust

2. a vivid or garish shade of pink

3. informal,  very bad or terrible

   shocking weather

Other Word Forms

• shockingly adverb
• shockingness noun
• unshocking adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of shocking¹

First recorded in 1685–95; shock ¹ + -ing ²

Example Sentences

And then there was the Kennedy Center opening in 1971, with Bernstein doing the shocking.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Among the documentary’s most shocking moments is Victoria’s business partner David Belhassen revealing that the designer was spending $70,000 a year on office plants.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"The news of a planned attack targeting Prime Minister Bart de Wever is extremely shocking," Prevot wrote in a post on X on Thursday.

Read more on BBC

The actress recalled that she had suffered a haemorrhage while on stage at Chichester Festival Theatre, something she described as "shocking".

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The lack of a reporting standard has been shocking, Kelly said, but the new frameworks serve as necessary building blocks to improve transparency.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• appalling 
• awful 
• disgraceful 
• disgusting 
• disquieting 
• distressing www.thesaurus.com
• dreadful 
• ghastly 
• heinous 
• horrible 
• horrific 
• horrifying 
• shameful 
• terrible 
• ugly