Definition of shock - Reverso English Dictionary
Noun
1.
physical impactsudden violent shake or collision
- The car endured a heavy shock after hitting the wall..
2.
surprisesudden and intense surprise or disturbance
- The news of the accident was a shock.
3.
electricityelectric current passing through the body
- He received a shock from the faulty wire.
4.
medicalmedical condition with inadequate blood flow
- The patient went into shock after the surgery.
5.
hairUK thick mass of hairUK
- He has a shock of curly hair.
6.
agricultureDated bundle of sheaves set to dryDated
- The farmers arranged the wheat into a shock.
Verb
1.
emotionally upsetcause someone to feel surprised and upset
- The news will shock everyone at the meeting.
2.
morally offendoffend the moral sense of
- The artist's work shocked the audience..
3.
electricitycause a sudden electric jolt to someone or something
- Be careful not to shock yourself with the wires.
4.
swimmingTECH. US add a chemical to a swimming pool to adjust chlorineTECH. US
- They need to shock the pool before the party.
5.
geologyTECH. deform a stone's crystal structure with high pressureTECH.
- The meteorite impact shocked the quartz crystals.
Adjective
1.
unexpectedcausing surprise or fear
- The shock news left everyone speechless.
2.
hairDated thick and bushy in appearanceDated
- He has a shock hairstyle that stands out.
Images of shock

bundle of sheaves set to dry
Expressions with shock
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
drastic action taken to address a problem
The company needed shock treatment to improve its performance.
surprise at unexpectedly high prices
Many buyers experience sticker shock when shopping for cars.
talk show host known for provocative opinions
Many listeners tune in to hear the shock jock's bold statements.
treatment using electric currents to induce convulsions
Shock therapy was used to treat severe depression.
deliver an electric shock to someone
The faulty wire gave him a shock.
cause sudden surprise or emotional impact to someone
The news of his resignation came as a shock to everyone.
suddenly experience something very unpleasant or upsetting
He got a nasty shock when he saw the bill.
unexpected surprise ironically predictable
Shock of shocks, he forgot his keys again.
cause someone to act by surprising them
The news shocked him into making a decision.
sudden impact causing emotional disturbance
The news was a shock to his system.
sudden event causing significant change or impact
The news was a shock to the system for everyone.
impressive display to create strong impact
The presentation was a shock and awe experience.
sudden discharge of electricity through a part of the body
He got an electric shock when he touched the live wire.
receive an electric shock
He got a shock from the faulty wire.
experience a sudden surprise or fear
She got such a shock when she saw the ghost.
overwhelmed by unexpected news or events
She was in shock after hearing the news.
feel confused or stressed when facing unfamiliar ways of life
He experienced culture shock when he moved abroad.
unpleasant surprise causing distress or discomfort
The sudden news of the accident was a nasty shock to everyone.
unable to feel emotions due to shock
She was numb with shock after hearing the tragic news.
animal-training collar that gives a brief electric jolt
They decided not to use a shock collar during obedience lessons.
do something that surprises or amazes everyone everywhere
The underdog team could shock the world with a win.
condition of extreme emotional disturbance
She was in a state of shock after hearing the news.
sudden event causing surprise or distress
The news of the accident was an electrical shock to everyone.
unexpected and unpleasant surprise causing discomfort
The news of the accident was a rude shock.
Origin of shock
Dutch, schok (shake) + English, shock (impact)
Terms with shock included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
unexpected event
feeling or showing shock from something unexpected
emotion
express surprise or shock about something unexpected or hard to accept
emotion
expression of strong emotion like surprise or shock
exclamation
used to show surprise, worry, or shock
emotion wonder
feeling strong surprise, shock, or wonder at something unexpected
impact
sudden jolt or shock
emotional shock
unable to react due to shock or surprise
surprise
take a moment to breathe after a shock
reaction
inhale suddenly with the mouth open out of shock or surprise
breathing reaction
sudden short breath from shock, surprise, or trouble breathing
medical
skin loses color from fear, shock, or illness
emotion
become pale in the face from fear or shock
strong reaction
feeling intense fear, shock or dismay
emotion
feeling no shock or amazement
sudden reaction
expresses surprise or shock in a situation
inner reaction
experience sudden joy, excitement, surprise or shock
surprised or shocked
unable to speak because of surprise or shock
emotion
cause to feel sudden shock or alarm
body
become lighter in skin color from fear or shock
emotion
shows surprise or mild shock at something unexpected
shock reaction
expresses surprise or disbelief about the day's events
emotion
showing surprise or shock visibly
reaction
react suddenly to a surprise or shock
surprise
expressing surprise or shock
Examples of shock in a sentence
He felt a shock when the heavy object fell on his foot. Her sudden resignation came as a shock. The unexpected election results were a shock. The shock from the outlet startled him. She felt a shock when she touched the metal. He was treated immediately to prevent shock from blood loss.
The sudden news sent her into shock, requiring medical attention. A shock of silver hair framed her face. The child wore a shock of blond hair. They stacked the corn into a shock for drying. Each shock of barley was neatly arranged in the field. The unexpected announcement will shock the entire community. Her sudden departure shocked her colleagues. Her bold statement shocked the conservative community. The scandalous news shocked the entire town. The faulty appliance might shock you if touched. He accidentally shocked the pet with the static electricity. It's essential to shock the pool weekly for safety. After the storm, they had to shock the pool again. The intense heat from the explosion shocked the mineral structure. Scientists shocked the rock samples in the lab for study. The shock announcement changed the course of the meeting. His shock decision to quit surprised everyone. His shock hair made him look wild. The actor's shock locks were hard to miss.
View all translations of shock
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:choc, choquer, ...
- German:Stoß, schockieren, ...
- Italian:scossa, scioccare, ...
- Spanish:choque, sorprender, ...
- Portuguese:choque, chocar, ...
- Chinese:撞击, 使震惊, ...
- Japanese:衝撃, 驚かせる, ...
- Arabic:صَدْمَة, صَدَمَ, ...
- Hebrew:זַעֲזוּעַ, לְהָמֵם, ...
- Russian:удар, шокировать, ...
- Ukrainian:удар, шокувати, ...
- Hindi:झटका, चौंका देना, ...
icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.
icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.
icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the