shocking
Americanadjective
-
causing intense surprise, disgust, horror, etc.
- Synonyms:
- appalling, startling, astounding, staggering
-
very bad.
shocking manners.
adjective
-
causing shock, horror, or disgust
-
a vivid or garish shade of pink
-
informal very bad or terrible
shocking weather
Other Word Forms
- shockingly adverb
- shockingness noun
- unshocking adjective
Etymology
Origin of shocking
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.
When he returns home in 1944, his grief for lost friends is compounded by the shocking news that his sister is believed missing behind enemy lines.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
“I’m keeping Cerina and Justin Fairfax’s children in my prayers as we all process this shocking and horrifying news,” he said in a post on social media.
From Salon • Apr. 16, 2026
Sarah Sackman, the Labour MP for Finchley and Golders Green, said: "This shocking attempt to harm a local synagogue follows a series of alarming attacks on the Jewish community in Finchley and Golders Green."
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
She ultimately refrained, only to see UConn win in a shocking last-minute upset.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
It may be, too, that he wanted to show in the most startling and shocking way possible how easy it was to deceive the awful, venerated, humbly adored divinities.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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.
