v. 1
To cause to be emotionally shocked; to cause (someone) to feel greatly surprised or upset.
The disaster shocked the world.
v. 2
To strike with disgust, to offend, scandalize.
n. 1
A sudden, heavy impact. Something so surprising that it is stunning.
My mother's news was a shock I still haven't recovered from.
n. 2
A sudden, heavy impact.
The train hit the buffers with a great shock.

Related words

Word family: shockfic shocker shockable shocked shocking shockdog
Phrases: shock absorber shock collar electric shock shell shock shock therapy anaphylactic shock cold shock response cultural shock

Forms

Plural: shocks → surprises, awes, stupefactions, flabbergasts…
Past participle: shocked
e.g. shocked → disgusted, outraged, dismayed, offended…

Choose the right word

or Shock?

A shock is the sudden encounter with some heavy body; as, colliding railway-trains meet with a shock; the shock of battle. Shock is used of that which is at once sudden, violent, and prostrating; we speak of a shock of electricity, the shock of an amputation, a shock of surprise.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

outrage The illegal dump in the park is a source of outrage.
disgust I don't hate you anymore. Now you just disgust me.
dismay To my dismay, he was caught cheating in the examination.
startle Ziri doesn't want to startle that spider.
shatter Rodrigo heard glass shatter at the front entrance.
astonish You always astonish me with your unexpected arrivals.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
shock		steady
outrage		rising
disgust		rising
dismay		rising
startle		rising
shatter		rising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters: jar¹, awe¹, mop¹
4 letters: blow¹, cock¹, stun¹, jolt¹, daze¹
5 letters: floor¹, clash¹, brunt¹, appal, stook
6 letters: impact², stroke¹, revolt², offend², dismay², stupor², sicken², appall², jounce
7 letters: outrage², disgust², cushion², shatter², terrify³, stagger², startle², astound², horrify³
8 letters: surprise², frighten², paralyze³, astonish³, paralyse, nauseate³
9 letters: encounter³, collision³, electrify⁴
10 letters: traumatize³, scandalize³, traumatise, scandalise
11 letters: electrocute⁴, flabbergast³
12 letters: stupefaction

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (impact² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français: choquer
Español: chocar
Deutsch: anecken
Català: xocar