shell shock
noun
: post-traumatic stress disorder occurring under wartime conditions (as combat) that cause intense stress : battle fatigue, combat fatigue
In the receiving ward he found a patient shivering on his bunk with a diagnosis—in this case accurate—of severe shell shock.—
Albert E. Cowdrey
Albert E. CowdreyA Veterans Administration psychiatrist, Dr. Jack Ewald, has reckoned that some 700,000 Vietnam veterans have suffered from various forms of "post-traumatic stress syndrome," the modern term for what was called "shell shock" in World War I and "battle fatigue" in World War II.—Stanley Karnow
Stanley KarnowExamples of shell shock in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
No wonder American consumers are feeling shell shock.
—Corky Siemaszko, NBC News, 2 Feb. 2025
Those who worked on the show remain in a bit of shell shock.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 21 Jan. 2025
As a result, the shell shock of the past 24 months for consumers is still wearing off.
—Rob Wile, NBC News, 11 Jan. 2024
But Morrissey zeroes in on present-tense shell shock.
—Armond White, National Review, 1 Nov. 2023
See all Example Sentences for shell shock 
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.
Corky Siemaszko, NBC News, 2 Feb. 2025
Those who worked on the show remain in a bit of shell shock.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 21 Jan. 2025
As a result, the shell shock of the past 24 months for consumers is still wearing off.
—Rob Wile, NBC News, 11 Jan. 2024
But Morrissey zeroes in on present-tense shell shock.
—Armond White, National Review, 1 Nov. 2023
See all Example Sentences for shell shock
Dictionary Entries Near shell shock
Cite this Entry
“Shell shock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shell%20shock. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share