shocking

adjective

shock·​ing ˈshä-kiŋ How to pronounce shocking (audio)
: extremely startling, distressing, or offensive
shocking news
shockingly adverb

Examples of shocking in a Sentence

The number of young teenagers who smoke is shocking. a shocking waste of money The building is in a shocking state.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In fact, the difference is actually pretty shocking. Kleigh Balugo, StyleCaster, 10 Jan. 2025 On Monday, in a shocking move, Disney announced a deal to merge its Hulu + Live TV service with competitor Fubo. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Jan. 2025 The new music was found among the hundreds of cassette tapes, scripts, music files and journals in Larson’s apartment after his shocking death from an aortic dissection at age 35 in 1996. Greg Evans, Deadline, 9 Jan. 2025 Sirianni rates as a well above-average coach in fourth-down decision-making, which isn't too shocking considering the efficiency of the Brotherly Shove. Austin Mock, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for shocking 

Word History

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shocking was in 1653

Dictionary Entries Near shocking

Cite this Entry

“Shocking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shocking. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

shocking

adjective
shock·​ing
: causing horror or disgust
a shocking crime
shocking behavior
shockingly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on shocking

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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