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 GouldSynonyms
Examples of shocked in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
By Michelle Obama Updated: April 17, 2024 4:45 PM EDT | Originally published: April 17, 2024 7:10 AM EDT
Every once in a while, my good friend Thelma Golden will meet someone who is shocked to learn this tiny, energetic, and dynamic woman is a paradigm-shifting curator.
—TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
But finding out that their beloved bar was indeed closing led to shocked and disappointed comments.
—The Arizona Republic, 15 Apr. 2024
Many people at the time didn’t know this other passionate, activist side of me and were shocked.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 15 Apr. 2024
In March, despite two decades on the sea, Gill saw a blue whale behavior that left him shocked.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024
Granada athletic community members remain shocked that Moore will no longer lead the department.
—Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024
Knoll hadn’t felt exactly shocked when the law passed.
—Casey Parks, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024
Elliott, like many people across the US, was shocked.
—Chandelis Duster, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Even though recreational and medical marijuana was legal in our state, Colorado, her parents were shocked, adamant the results were not possible.
—Julia Michie Bruckner, Discover Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024
TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
But finding out that their beloved bar was indeed closing led to shocked and disappointed comments.
—The Arizona Republic, 15 Apr. 2024
Many people at the time didn’t know this other passionate, activist side of me and were shocked.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 15 Apr. 2024
In March, despite two decades on the sea, Gill saw a blue whale behavior that left him shocked.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024
Granada athletic community members remain shocked that Moore will no longer lead the department.
—Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024
Knoll hadn’t felt exactly shocked when the law passed.
—Casey Parks, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024
Elliott, like many people across the US, was shocked.
—Chandelis Duster, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Even though recreational and medical marijuana was legal in our state, Colorado, her parents were shocked, adamant the results were not possible.
—Julia Michie Bruckner, Discover Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shocked.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Shocked.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shocked. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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