INDEX:
1. surprised and upset because something bad has happened
2. so shocked that you show it in your behaviour or appearance
3. to make someone feel shocked
4. making you feel shocked
5. the feeling of being shocked
6. something that shocks you
7. feeling shocked and offended
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ SURPRISED/SURPRISING
↑ FRIGHTENED/FRIGHTENING
↑ SUDDENLY
↑ UPSET
↑ HORRIBLE
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1. surprised and upset because something bad has happened
▷ shocked /ʃɒktǁʃɑːkt/ [adjective]
▪ I was shocked when I saw the size of the telephone bill.
▪ Everyone seemed really shocked when I told them I’d started smoking.
shocked (that)
▪ I’m shocked that you’ve let things get this far.
shocked at
▪ I was shocked at the change in his appearance.
▪ Gabby was shocked by how unpleasant they were to their mother.
be shocked to hear/learn/find something etc
▪ We were shocked to hear about Brian’s heart attack - he’s so young.
▪ When I returned, I was shocked to discover that Rod had lost his job.
deeply shocked
very shocked
▪ We were deeply shocked to hear of the baby’s death.
▷ horrified /ˈhɒrɪfaɪd, ˈhɒrəfaɪdǁˈhɔː-, ˈhɑː-/ [adjective]
extremely shocked by something very unpleasant or frightening that has happened :
▪ Horrified passengers saw the man fall under the train.
▪ There was a horrified look on his face.
horrified by
▪ The Prime Minister issued a statement saying he was ‘shocked and horrified’ by the massacre.
▷ appalled /əˈpɔːld/ [adjective not before noun]
very shocked by something that is very bad or unpleasant :
appalled by
▪ I knew everyone in the room was appalled by my behaviour, but I didn’t care.
▪ Appalled at the state of the kitchen, she set about scrubbing away the layers of grime and grease.
appalled that
▪ We’re absolutely appalled that the newspapers can freely make allegations about this company.
appalled to hear/see/find out etc
▪ I was appalled to learn that a serial killer was running a drugs operation in a high-security prison.
▷ devastated/shattered /ˈdevəsteɪtɪd, ˈdevəsteɪtəd, ˈʃætəʳd/ [adjective]
so shocked and upset by something terrible that has happened that you cannot continue with your life :
▪ Without warning, my husband moved out, leaving me so shattered I couldn’t continue.
devastated/shattered by
▪ I went back to my motel, devastated by the news of her death.
▷ traumatized also traumatised British /ˈtrɔːmətaɪzd/ [adjective]
if someone is traumatized by a bad event or experience, it badly affects the way they behave or react to things for a long time afterwards :
▪ The attack on her in August 1990 had left her traumatized and unable to leave the house.
▪ a frightened, traumatized child
traumatized by
▪ Some students were traumatized by the anatomy classes, while others were unaffected.
▷ be in a state of shock /biː ɪn ə ˌsteɪt əv ˈʃɒkǁ-ˈʃɑːk/ [verb phrase]
to feel very shocked by something, so that you cannot do things properly or talk about things clearly for a long time afterwards :
▪ Two days after the earthquake, many people were still in a state of shock.
▪ He arrived at my house in a state of shock, unable to tell me clearly what had happened.
▷ shaken/shaken up /ˈʃeɪkən, ˌʃeɪkən ˈʌp/ [adjective not usually before noun]
shocked and feeling weak and nervous, because something very unpleasant or frightening has happened :
▪ He was pulled from the wreckage of the car, alive but very shaken.
▪ The fire in the hotel was not very serious but everyone was shaken up by it.
shaken/shaken up by
▪ She was visibly shaken by the severity of her sentence, and left the court in tears.
badly shaken
▪ She was badly shaken by the attack and found it difficult to describe her ordeal to the police.
▷ aghast /əˈgɑːstǁəˈgæst/ [adjective not before noun] written
very shocked by something that you have just been told or have found out about :
▪ ‘Ten thousand pounds!’ she said, aghast.
▪ Some of the Republican policies have left feminists dismayed and aghast.
aghast at
▪ Mr Sullivan seemed aghast at the prospect of losing his only daughter to this arrogant young man.
2. so shocked that you show it in your behaviour or appearance
▷ speechless /ˈspiːtʃləs/ [adjective not before noun]
so shocked, angry, upset etc that you cannot speak :
▪ The chairman was speechless when he heard that he had been dismissed.
▪ Almost speechless, her mother managed to gasp out, ‘And how long has this been going on?’
leave somebody speechless
▪ Her children’s behaviour is sometimes so bad that it leaves her speechless.
speechless with rage/ horror/shock etc
▪ I didn’t answer. I was speechless with rage.
▪ The little girl seemed speechless with terror.
I’m speechless
spoken used to say how shocked or surprised you are
▪ Well, I’m speechless Anna. I really don’t know what to say.
▷ stunned /stʌnd/ [adjective]
so shocked that you are unable to react immediately :
▪ The news of his brother’s death left him too stunned to speak.
▪ Canada was completely stunned by the shooting, for it thinks of itself as a peaceful, gentle nation.
▪ She looked pale and stunned -- it was clear that something awful had happened.
stunned by
▪ His brother seemed stunned by the verdict.
stunned silence
when people stop talking, because something shocking has happened
▪ After a stunned silence, Peggy added, ‘And I’m not going to change my mind.’
▷ dazed /deɪzd/ [adjective]
very shocked and unable to think clearly or do anything to improve the situation :
▪ I stumbled from the office, feeling dazed and confused, and not really knowing where I was.
▪ He stood there with a dazed expression on his face watching her pack her bags.
dazed by
▪ Daphne is in hospital, still dazed by the events of the last ten days.
▷ gobsmacked /ˈgɒbsmæktǁˈgɑːb-/ [adjective] British spoken
so shocked that you cannot speak for a short time :
▪ ‘Do you feel surprised by your win?’ ‘Gobsmacked would be closer to the truth.’
3. to make someone feel shocked
▷ shock /ʃɒkǁʃɑːk/ [intransitive/transitive verb not in progressive]
to make someone feel very surprised and upset :
▪ What really shocked me was that no-one seemed to care about all the beggars.
it shocks somebody to see/realize/hear etc
▪ It shocked us to see how ill she looked.
shock somebody into doing something
▪ I just felt I had to shock her into taking some action.
shock somebody into something
▪ My father was shocked into silence.
▷ come as a shock (to somebody) /ˌkʌm əz ə ˈʃɒk (tə somebody ǁ-ˈʃɑːk-/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
if something unpleasant comes as a shock, it makes you feel surprised and upset because you were not expecting it at all :
▪ I know this will come as a shock to you Ray, but try to understand how I feel.
▪ The revelations of child abuse at the home have come as a profound shock to parents and social workers.
▷ stun /stʌn/ [transitive verb not in progressive]
if something stuns you, especially a piece of news, it makes you feel so surprised and upset that you cannot speak or do anything immediately afterwards :
▪ Sasha was too stunned by what had happened to say a word.
▪ His words stunned her, and she stared at him in disbelief.
▷ knock/throw somebody for a loop /ˌnɒk, ˌθrəʊ somebody fər ə ˈluːpǁˌnɑːk-/ [verb phrase not in progressive] American informal
if something unexpected knocks someone for a loop, it shocks or upsets them :
▪ Joanna’s resignation really threw me for a loop.
▪ His next question totally knocked me for a loop. He said, ‘So what makes you think you’re good enough to get into law school?’
▷ shake somebody up /ˌʃeɪk somebody ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb]
if an unpleasant experience shakes someone up, they are shocked and upset by it :
▪ Did that lightning shake you up, honey?
▪ Katherine was one of the fairest people you could ever hope to meet, so her criticism really shook me up.
▷ rock /rɒkǁrɑːk/ [transitive verb]
if a piece of news rocks a large group of people or an organization, it shocks them - used especially in news reports :
▪ The scandal has rocked the banking world.
▪ The law firm was rocked by accusations of bribery and dishonesty.
4. making you feel shocked
▷ shocking /ˈʃɒkɪŋǁˈʃɑː-/ [adjective]
making you feel shocked and upset :
▪ These shocking events horrified the entire world.
▪ The report revealed some shocking new facts about the effect of drinking on health.
▪ It can be quite shocking for a child to see the changes in his or her body as puberty approaches.
▷ devastating/shattering /ˈdevəsteɪtɪŋ, ˈʃætərɪŋ/ [adjective usually before noun]
extremely shocking and upsetting :
▪ Losing your job can be a psychologically devastating experience.
▪ a shattering personal crisis
5. the feeling of being shocked
▷ shock /ʃɒkǁʃɑːk/ [uncountable noun]
the unpleasant feeling of surprise that you have when something bad happens, especially when you do not expect it :
▪ Fellow students expressed shock and dismay over the racist incidents.
with shock
▪ We listened to the announcer with shock and disbelief -- another bomb had exploded in the city.
▷ horror /ˈhɒrəʳǁˈhɔː-, ˈhɑː-/ [uncountable noun]
a very strong feeling of surprise and disbelief that you have when something very unpleasant or frightening happens :
▪ It’s hard for me even now to relate my feelings of horror and incredulity about what happened.
in horror
▪ She screamed again and stared in horror at what lay in the doorway.
with horror
▪ He was trembling with horror and disbelief.
to my/your/his etc horror
▪ To my horror, I saw James’ car draw up outside the gate.
6. something that shocks you
▷ shock /ʃɒkǁʃɑːk/ [countable noun]
something very bad or unpleasant that happens to you and that you did not expect :
▪ ‘The bill came to almost £500.’ ‘That must have been a shock.’
get a shock
▪ Gary got a shock when his ex-girlfriend turned up on his doorstep.
give somebody a shock
▪ It gave me a shock to realize that I had almost died.
with a shock
▪ He realised with a faint shock that it was Lulu, much older but still beautiful.
be in for a shock
used to say someone will be shocked when they discover something
▪ If the FBI thought they could outwit him, they were in for a shock.
a rude shock
British a big and very unpleasant shock
▪ Going on holiday with Ian had been a rude shock -- he’d been argumentative, mean and not at all what she’d expected.
▷ blow /bləʊ/ [countable noun]
an unpleasant event or piece of news that makes you shocked, upset, and disappointed :
▪ Not being allowed to return to her own country was a blow from which she never really recovered.
blow to
▪ The Colorado river was closed, a bitter blow to rafters and kayakers who may have to wait seven years for a river use permit.
deal somebody a blow
▪ His championship hopes were dealt a savage blow last night when he received a hamstring injury.
▷ bombshell /ˈbɒmʃelǁˈbɑːm-/ [countable noun]
a piece of news which is extremely shocking and bad :
drop a bombshell
tell people something very shocking or surprising
▪ Then Vanessa dropped the bombshell that she was leaving - and leaving that night.
come as a bombshell
▪ For the board of directors, the news of the crash came as a bombshell.
▷ rude awakening /ˌruːd əˈweɪk ə nɪŋ/ [countable noun]
a sudden shock that happens when you find out the unpleasant truth about a situation :
▪ Moving to the city was a rude awakening for an innocent country girl like Eli.
be in for a rude awakening
used to say that someone will be unpleasantly shocked when they discover something
▪ I was expecting the oral exam to be easy, but I was in for a rude awakening.
7. feeling shocked and offended
▷ shocked /ʃɒktǁʃɑːkt/ [adjective]
surprised, upset, and offended by an event or by someone’s behaviour, when you think it is morally wrong or unfair :
▪ Shocked viewers jammed the switchboard with complaints.
shocked by
▪ I am truly shocked by the content of the program.
shocked at
▪ She was shocked at her own depraved behavior.
shock [transitive verb]
▪ The shows are designed deliberately to shock audiences.
▷ outraged /ˈaʊtreɪdʒd/ [adjective]
very shocked and angry about something you think is morally wrong or unfair :
▪ We were outraged when we heard the rapist had only got a two year sentence.
▪ His remarks, intended to calm the crisis, only served to alarm the already outraged Black community.
outraged at/by
▪ My mother was outraged at the idea that she might be kept from seeing her grandchildren.
outrage [transitive verb not in progressive]
▪ His remarks puzzled some people and outraged others.
▷ scandalized also scandalised British /ˈskændl-aɪzd/ [adjective]
very shocked and offended by something that you disapprove of, especially because it is morally wrong - use this especially when a lot of people feel this way :
▪ Their scandalized neighbours began a petition to remove them from the neighbourhood.
scandalized by
▪ At first, the public was scandalized by his nude paintings.
scandalized by
▪ The country was scandalized by the news of the President’s alleged affair.
scandalize also scandalise British [transitive verb not in progressive]
▪ She had scandalized her family and embarrassed her husband.
▷ outrage /ˈaʊtreɪdʒ/ [uncountable noun]
the strong feeling of being shocked and angry about something such as a public statement or action that you think is morally wrong or unfair :
▪ The sense of anger and outrage within the community seemed to grow by the hour.
▪ Prominent Republicans have expressed outrage at the decision.
▪ The anarchic music of punk caused public outrage when it first burst upon the scene.