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
Beverly Cleary… I am so shocked to see him that I do not know what to do.—Jane Austen
Jane Austen
b
: showing or expressing shock
Her voice faltered as she saw the shocked amazement on her father's face.—Mary Norton
Mary NortonIn place of a roar at the end of the year's most anticipated race, there was only a shocked silence.—Tim Layden
Tim Layden2
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
Stephen Jay GouldExamples 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
When Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead last month in their Santa Fe, New Mexico home, the community was shocked.
—Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2025
Homeowner Sends Neighbor a Note — and Asks Them to Not Let Cats Look Out the Window
The man was shocked to come home and find that one of his neighbors had left a note on his front door.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 5 Mar. 2025
The comedy community, meanwhile, was shocked, too, because Hoffman is mostly known as a curmudgeon.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 5 Mar. 2025
Lawyers in the office are shocked, as many of them had worked on cases involving Jan. 6 rioters and allies of Trump.
—Cuneyt Dil, Axios, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shocked
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Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2025
Homeowner Sends Neighbor a Note — and Asks Them to Not Let Cats Look Out the Window
The man was shocked to come home and find that one of his neighbors had left a note on his front door.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 5 Mar. 2025
The comedy community, meanwhile, was shocked, too, because Hoffman is mostly known as a curmudgeon.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 5 Mar. 2025
Lawyers in the office are shocked, as many of them had worked on cases involving Jan. 6 rioters and allies of Trump.
—Cuneyt Dil, Axios, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shocked
Articles Related to shocked
Cite this Entry
“Shocked.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shocked. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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