culture shock

noun

: a sense of confusion and uncertainty sometimes with feelings of anxiety that may affect people exposed to an alien culture or environment without adequate preparation

Examples of culture shock in a Sentence

Foreign students often experience culture shock when they first come to the U.S. Moving to the city was a huge culture shock for him.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But for those who followed its early career as America’s most popular indie-rock band in the ’80s, R.E.M.’s popularity came as something of a culture shock, with their cult heroes now being piped into suburban malls and playing in rotation on classic rock radio stations. Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024 Anyone expecting Morocco to be a complete culture shock will likely be surprised that there is so much familiar about Tangier thanks to the many writers and artists, from Eugène Delacroix and Henri Matisse to the Rolling Stones, whose imaginations have been captured by the city. Elle Benson Easton, Travel + Leisure, 2 Nov. 2024 Traveling with a band brought its own culture shock. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2024 Byers found it a bit of a culture shock on his first day. Jack McCullough, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for culture shock 

Word History

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of culture shock was in 1932

Dictionary Entries Near culture shock

Cite this Entry

“Culture shock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture%20shock. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

culture shock

noun
: a sense of confusion and uncertainty sometimes with feelings of anxiety that may affect people exposed to an alien culture or environment without adequate preparation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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