shock

1 of 6

noun (1)

often attributive
1
a(1)
: a sudden or violent mental or emotional disturbance
(2)
: a disturbance in the equilibrium or permanence of something
b
: something that causes such disturbance
the loss came as a shock
c
: a state of being so disturbed
were in shock after they heard the news
2
: a state of profound depression of the vital processes associated with reduced blood volume and pressure and caused usually by severe especially crushing injuries, hemorrhage, or burns
3
: sudden stimulation of the nerves and convulsive contraction of the muscles caused by the discharge of electricity through the animal body
4
5
a
: a violent shake or jar : concussion
b
: an effect of such violence
6
7
: the impact or encounter of individuals or groups in combat

shock

2 of 6

verb (1)

shocked; shocking; shocks

transitive verb

1
a
: to strike with surprise, terror, horror, or disgust
b
: to cause to undergo a physical or nervous shock
c
: to subject to the action of an electrical discharge
2
: to drive by or as if by a shock

intransitive verb

1
: to cause surprise or shock
an exhibit meant to shock
2
: to meet with a shock : collide
3
cooking : to halt further cooking of (a vegetable) by submerging in ice water
If you blanch and shock your vegetables (cook them quickly in boiling water, then immerse them in ice water), you'll get a perfectly cooked texture and a nice vibrant color. Once you've done that, you can easily sauté, dress, or grill them.Amanda Freitag
Another way to prevent overcooking is to shock the asparagus in an ice bath … The cold water will stop the cooking process as well as bring out the vegetable's naturally bright color and maintain its crisp texture.Grace Haynes
shockable adjective

shock

3 of 6

noun (2)

: a thick bushy mass (as of hair)

shock

4 of 6

adjective

shock

5 of 6

noun (3)

: a pile of sheaves of grain or stalks of corn set up in a field with the butt ends down

shock

6 of 6

verb (2)

shocked; shocking; shocks

transitive verb

: to collect into shocks
Choose the Right Synonym for shock

impact, collision, shock, concussion mean a forceful, even violent contact between two or more things.

impact may be used to imply contact between two things, at least one of which is impelled toward the other.

the glass shattered on impact with the floor

collision implies the coming together of two or more things with such force that both or all are damaged or their progress is severely impeded.

the collision damaged the vehicle

shock often denotes the effect produced by a collision and carries the suggestion of something that strikes or hits with force.

the shock of falling rocks

concussion when not in technical use, often suggests the shattering, disrupting, or weakening effects of a collision, explosion, or blow.

bystanders felt the concussion of the blast

Examples of shock in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
There’s something to the shock of killing a story’s darlings, but the film doesn’t offer much in the way of internal world-building (do the machines really want to take over because humans are just…annoying?) or its central love story to make up for the holes left by these disappearances. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 Corporate farms were less nimble to the shock, Potlikker Capital co-founder Mark Watson told The Republic. The Arizona Republic, 9 Mar. 2024 But, to date, this hasn't been required by law, to the shock of many. Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Mar. 2024 The shock that he was not rewarded with even a nomination may have ultimately worked in the film’s favor in other categories. The New York Times Brooks Barnes, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 The shock running through that moment, which Charlotte includes in her retelling of the hours that followed Gershkovich’s arrest, speaks volumes about the unreality of his abduction into the Russian judicial system. TIME, 7 Mar. 2024 But, Daco noted, the economy is still recovering from the shock of the pandemic. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2024 The shock of his sudden, irrevocable disappearance propelled me deeper into my astronomy books. Adam Frank, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2024 On March 4 Perry died at age 52 following a massive stroke, leaving his family, friends and fans reeling from the shock. Aili Nahas, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Currently in a post-shock trial refit, observers expect the USS Ford to re-emerge, ready for action, in mid-2022, departing for a deployment sometime after. Craig Hooper, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2021 For chair Jay Powell, this is the moment to prove that the Fed has learned the lessons of the recovery from the Great Financial Crisis, when employment didn’t return to pre-shock levels for six-and-a-half years. Tim Fernholz, Quartz, 16 June 2021 Perhaps because of those capabilities, Future 50 companies returned to pre-shock levels in 15 weeks, while the MSCI World stock index took more than six months. Tom Deegan, Fortune, 22 Apr. 2021 Most e-collars also have non-shock cues such as beeps or vibrations that act as a stimulus for training. Alicia Wallace, CNN, 6 Oct. 2020 As the shockwave continues outward, the material in the post-shock regions quickly cools and recombines. Michelle Hampson, Discover Magazine, 7 Aug. 2018
Verb
The bank lost scores of customers, many of whom frantically pulled their money out over a chaotic few days last year in a bank run that shocked the tech industry and triggered a government rescue. Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Baseball Los Altos 3, Palo Alto 2 Los Altos rallied from a two-run deficit to shock visiting Palo Alto on Wednesday night. Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024 Sydney Sweeney is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, but fans are sure to be shocked by her wild new horror movie that pushes her creativity in front of and behind the camera to new extremes. William Earl, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024 That said, a lot of folks may be shocked by how much Larsa Pippen gives her teenager for allowance. Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 The feat shocked many AI experts who had thought Go too subtle for computers to master anytime soon. Will Knight, WIRED, 7 Mar. 2024 Before the game started the Siga and Nami were shocked to not see David Jelinsky, who was voted out in the first episode for giving up easily. Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 The attack shocked the community and prompted calls for more police action to combat teen violence. Louis Casiano, Fox News, 7 Mar. 2024 Four people face charges in the killing of Preston Lord, the 16-year-old whose brutal beating shocked the southeast Valley and brought to light a surge in teen violence in the community. Robert Anglen, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shock.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle French choc, from choquer to strike against, from Old French choquier, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch schocken to jolt

Adjective

perhaps from shock entry 5

Noun (3)

Middle English; akin to Middle High German schoc heap

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1550, in the meaning defined at sense 7

Verb (1)

1575, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

Noun (2)

1819, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1681, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shock was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near shock

Cite this Entry

“Shock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shock. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shock

1 of 4 noun
: a bunch of sheaves of grain or stalks of corn set on end (as in a field)

shock

2 of 4 noun
1
: the sudden violent collision of bodies in a fight
the shock of combat
2
: a violent shake or jerk
an earthquake shock
3
a
: a sudden or violent disturbance of the mind or feelings
the shock of defeat
b
: something that causes such a disturbance
the news came as a shock
c
: a state of being so disturbed
were in shock when they heard the true story
4
: a state of bodily collapse that is often marked by a drop in blood pressure and volume and that is usually caused by a severe injury, burn, or hemorrhage
5
: the effect of a strong charge of electricity passing through the body of a person or animal

shock

3 of 4 verb
1
: to strike with surprise, horror, or disgust
were shocked by her behavior
2
: to affect by electrical shock
3
: to drive into or out of by or as if by a shock
shocked the public into action
shocker noun

shock

4 of 4 noun
: a thick bushy mass
a shock of hair
Etymology

Noun

Middle English shock "bunch of stalks"

Noun

from early French choc "a violent collision, shock," from choquer (verb) "to strike against," from earlier choquier (same meaning); probably of Germanic origin

Noun

from earlier shock (adjective) "bushy," probably derived from shock (noun) "a bunch of stalks" because of the similarity of the appearance of bushy hair to a bunch of stalks of grain

Medical Definition

shock

1 of 2 noun
1
: a sudden or violent disturbance in the mental or emotional faculties
2
: a state of profound depression of the vital processes of the body that is characterized by pallor, rapid but weak pulse, rapid and shallow respiration, reduced total blood volume, and low blood pressure and that is caused usually by severe especially crushing injuries, hemorrhage, burns, or major surgery
3
: sudden stimulation of the nerves or convulsive contraction of the muscles that is caused by the discharge through the animal body of electricity from a charged source compare electroconvulsive therapy

shock

2 of 2 transitive verb
1
: to cause to undergo a physical or nervous shock
2
: to subject to the action of an electrical discharge

Legal Definition

shock

adjective
: of, relating to, or being a criminal sentence or condition of release involving participation in a program of vigorous physical training, discipline, regimentation, and rehabilitation therapy
shock incarceration
shock probation
shock parole

More from Merriam-Webster on shock

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