shock
n. C / Un. a sudden feeling of surprise and fear when something bad happens. It can also mean the physical reaction your body has after a serious injury or a scary event.
n. a sudden or violent disturbance in the mind or emotions; also, a state of physiological collapse caused by a reduction in blood volume or flow. Often used to describe the immediate aftermath of a traumatic event.
The news of the accident came as a total shock.
The patient went into shock after losing a significant amount of blood during the surgery.
Economists warned that a sudden increase in oil prices could deliver a massive shock to the global market, potentially triggering a recession.
From Middle Dutch schokken (“to push, jolt, shake, jerk”) or Middle French choquer (“to collide with, clash”), from Old Dutch skokkan (“to shake up and down, shog”), from Proto-Germanic skukkaną (“to move, shake, tremble”). Of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to Proto-Germanic skakaną (“to shake, stir”), from Proto-Indo-European (s)kek-, *(s)keg- (“to shake, stir”); see shake. Cognate with Middle Low German schocken (“collide with, deliver a blow to, move back and forth”), Old High German scoc (“a jolt, swing”), Middle High German schocken (“to swing”) (German schaukeln), Old Norse skykkr (“vibration, surging motion”), Icelandic skykkjun (“tremulously”), Middle English schiggen (“to shake”). Doublet of shog.
Variant of shag.
Often used with the verb 'to go into' when referring to the medical state, or 'to come as a' when referring to news.
I was in a shockI was in shockWhen referring to the emotional or medical state of being, the noun is typically uncountable and does not take an article.