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Showing results for shocking. Search instead for adhocking.
Synonyms

shocking

American  
[shok-ing] / ˈʃɒk ɪŋ /

adjective

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

    Synonyms:
    appalling, startling, astounding, staggering

  2. very bad.

    shocking manners.
shocking British  
/ ˈʃɒkɪŋ /

adjective

  1. causing shock, horror, or disgust

  2. a vivid or garish shade of pink

  3. informal very bad or terrible

    shocking weather
"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

Other Word Forms

  • shockingly adverb
  • shockingness noun
  • unshocking adjective

Etymology

Origin of shocking

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"The fact that nobody had noticed he was missing for two weeks. It was shocking, we couldn't believe it was happening."

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

It was a shocking attack on European democracies.

From Slate • Apr. 9, 2026

That made the game’s outcome, a 62-48 South Carolina blowout win, pretty shocking.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

It was a shocking end to the tournament for UConn, which had won the 2023 and 2024 national titles and was on a quest for history.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

It’s about a shocking theft and a bizarre recovery.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.