: extremely startling, distressing, or offensive
shocking news
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
The Philadelphia 76ers center has dealt with a shocking amount of bad luck during his playoff career in particular, suffering injuries ranging from illnesses to an orbital fracture to Bell’s palsy.
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Andrew Greif, NBC news, 29 Apr. 2026
Then, in the most shocking moment in the flashback, Lydia agrees to kill her former colleague to prove her Gilead allegiance.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2026
Cashman and Blake’s scene now ends with the gunshot, shocking fans as another main character from Season 1 is wiped off the board.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
Which was a worthy catch-all with so many needs after a shocking 6-11 season followed five Super Bowl berths in the previous six seasons.
—Kansas City Star, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shocking
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Andrew Greif, NBC news, 29 Apr. 2026
Then, in the most shocking moment in the flashback, Lydia agrees to kill her former colleague to prove her Gilead allegiance.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2026
Cashman and Blake’s scene now ends with the gunshot, shocking fans as another main character from Season 1 is wiped off the board.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
Which was a worthy catch-all with so many needs after a shocking 6-11 season followed five Super Bowl berths in the previous six seasons.
—Kansas City Star, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shocking
Cite this Entry
“Shocking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shocking. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shocking
adjective
shock·ing
: causing horror or disgust
a shocking crime
shocking behavior
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