shocking

1 of 2

adjective

shock·​ing ˈshä-kiŋ 

: extremely startling, distressing, or offensive

shocking news

shockingly

ˈshä-kiŋ-lē 

adverb

shocking

2 of 2

present participle of shock entry 2, shock entry 6

Synonyms of shocking

Adjective

• startling
• surprising
• amazing
• stunning
• astonishing

Examples of shocking in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

Lee closed the session by saying technology will keep changing, and surprising, even shocking, videos will keep coming out. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026

There has never been any conflict or circumstance that would initiate such a hurtful and shocking decision. — R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 10 Oct. 2026

Instead, Hernandez beat Cedillo in a shocking upset in 2022, while Soto-Martínez won in the fall. — Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

The heist, which is follows behind a series of robberies at wineries in Italy as of late, is even more shocking when considering the prestige of Marchesi Antinori—and the amount of wine that was stolen. — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1653, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing shocking

• shocking pink

Rhymes for shocking

• blocking
• calking
• caulking
• chalking
• clocking
• cocking
• docking
• flocking
• gawking
• knocking
• locking
• mocking

Kids Definition

shocking

adjective

shock·​ing

: causing horror or disgust

a shocking crime

shocking behavior

shockingly

-iŋ-lē 

adverb