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
Etymology
Origin of shocking
Vocabulary lists containing shocking
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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.
"It's pretty shocking," Dodemont said from her restaurant in Eupen.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
Now all of that has been overtaken by his sudden and shocking death.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Over the following days, they ironed out one of the most sudden and shocking deals in sports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
And in May, federal prosecutors dropped a massive indictment against the Broadview Six, a group of Chicago protesters, after grand jury transcripts revealed shocking misconduct.
From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2026
Seeking the truth from a suspected spy, Washington gets shocking news about a “mole.”
From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen
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.
