1
as in stressed
suffering from high levels of physical and especially psychological stress
even after the long furlough, the returning soldiers still felt a little shell-shocked
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dazed
suffering from mental confusion
shell-shocked survivors who were in dire need of every kind of help
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of shell-shocked
Area Republicans look shell-shocked: President Trump’s sweeping tariff announcement sent a shockwave through the global economy, put the stock market into a tailspin and fueled fears that the U.S. is headed toward a recession.
—
Cate Martel, The Hill, 4 Apr. 2025
Soaring egg prices have left U.S. consumers scrambling and shell-shocked.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025
The Seahawks’ lead grew to 10 and the Delaware contingent – arms crossed, eyes staring blankly at the court – looked shell-shocked.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 12 Mar. 2025
Yvonne, still shell-shocked from tragedy and staring down a bowl of what looks like free-range vomit, would beg to differ if the vibes weren’t already so bad.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Mar. 2025
The Etihad looked shell-shocked once again and began fearing what seemed almost inevitable: a late Madrid winner.
—Ben Church, CNN, 12 Feb. 2025
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift appeared to be shell-shocked at how Super Bowl LIX turned out on Sunday as the Kansas City Chiefs fell to the Philadelphia Eagles, 40-22.
—Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 11 Feb. 2025
His family, including his wife, actor and singer Mandy Moore, and their three children, were fortunate that their main house survived, yet Goldsmith is shell-shocked by the Eaton fire’s toll.
—August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025
The best way to describe Storr’s play this season is shell-shocked.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2025
Cate Martel, The Hill, 4 Apr. 2025
Soaring egg prices have left U.S. consumers scrambling and shell-shocked.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025
The Seahawks’ lead grew to 10 and the Delaware contingent – arms crossed, eyes staring blankly at the court – looked shell-shocked.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 12 Mar. 2025
Yvonne, still shell-shocked from tragedy and staring down a bowl of what looks like free-range vomit, would beg to differ if the vibes weren’t already so bad.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Mar. 2025
The Etihad looked shell-shocked once again and began fearing what seemed almost inevitable: a late Madrid winner.
—Ben Church, CNN, 12 Feb. 2025
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift appeared to be shell-shocked at how Super Bowl LIX turned out on Sunday as the Kansas City Chiefs fell to the Philadelphia Eagles, 40-22.
—Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 11 Feb. 2025
His family, including his wife, actor and singer Mandy Moore, and their three children, were fortunate that their main house survived, yet Goldsmith is shell-shocked by the Eaton fire’s toll.
—August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025
The best way to describe Storr’s play this season is shell-shocked.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shell-shocked
Adjective
-
Indian consumers saw their stress levels lessen by 1.3 percent, while those in the United Kingdom (UK) were 2.8-percent less stressed than the previous quarter.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
17 Apr. 2025
-
That might sound counterintuitive: Enough working parents are so stressed from juggling multiple responsibilities that the U.S. Surgeon General issued a mental health advisory on the topic in August.—
Tom Huddleston Jr.,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The feeling in the crowd was a kind of dazed submission.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
-
While fielding applause at her Symphony Center show on Friday, harpist Brandee Younger made a dazed confession.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In the two years since Tommy Elliott was killed in a mass shooting, Maryanne Elliott’s grief has, in turns, left her aghast and overwhelmed, bewildered and incapacitated, grateful and wanting to die.—
Kristina Goetz,
USA Today,
13 Apr. 2025
-
In the now-viral video, the tuxedo cat crawls out from under the bed, wide-eyed and bewildered.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
If readers are confused, consider yet again that Instagram could claim all of 30 million users when its acquisition was announced.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Those who lost their Medicaid health care reported being unaware or confused about how to report work hours.—
Phil Galewitz,
NPR,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Even internal morale can take a hit when leadership appears distracted or unstable.—
David Centeno,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
-
June fills in her friend on Mayday's plan to come back, kill the distracted commanders, and free all the girls.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Several staff members at a Broward County school complained of being light-headed and dizzy after a student was found with a bag of pills on campus Wednesday, Miramar police said.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2025
-
Arielle appears to have repeatedly expressed her unease with the hike, including the steep height and feeling dizzy after taking a photo on a tree.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
People.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shell-shocked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shell-shocked. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share