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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.

David Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, said the government is relying on the shocking percentages, without proper context, to advance a narrative.

From Los Angeles Times

The jump ball was tipped by two defenders into the waiting arms of Fonseca, who calmly grabbed it out of midair — shocking even his own teammates.

From Los Angeles Times

Another Afghan, who also moved to the US following the country's withdrawal from Afghanistan four years ago, labelled Wednesday's shooting "really shocking".

From BBC

His serpentine plot flows to a natural yet shocking conclusion.

From The Wall Street Journal

The fact that she stood by her delusional expectations after the fact is shocking.

From MarketWatch