1
a
: affected by shock : stricken with sudden mental or emotional disturbance
"Oh, no!" Mrs. Quimby was shocked. "How much is that going to cost?"Beverly Cleary
… I am so shocked to see him that I do not know what to do.Jane Austen
b
: showing or expressing shock
Her voice faltered as she saw the shocked amazement on her father's face.Mary Norton
In place of a roar at the end of the year's most anticipated race, there was only a shocked silence.Tim Layden
2
of a mineral : having a crystal structure that has been deformed by exposure to sudden extremely high pressure (as from a meteorite impact or a nuclear blast)
Grains of shocked quartz have long been used as criteria for impact (extraterrestrial objects or nuclear bombs) …Stephen Jay Gould

Examples of shocked in a Sentence

the escaping bridegroom bid farewell to the shocked wedding guests as he ran out the door we were shocked at the appalling conditions in the prison the hikers were so shocked at the sight of a bear that they didn't dare move
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.
No one was that shocked, because at the time Donald Trump was just a failing businessman and the star of a game show. Frank Digiacomo, Billboard, 5 Nov. 2024 Cindy, introducing her newborn to followers, was shocked to see Swift commenting live. David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024 Firefighters gained control of the fire quickly, but when assessing the structure, the firefighter made contact with a live wire and was shocked. Karen Bartunek, The Arizona Republic, 31 Oct. 2024 Plenty of the tunes also contain the kind of NSFW lyrics that land with shocked delight to an audience appreciative of someone getting away with a really dirty joke. Erin Strecker, IndieWire, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for shocked 

Word History

First Known Use

1675, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of shocked was in 1675

Dictionary Entries Near shocked

Cite this Entry

“Shocked.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shocked. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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