ENGLISH
REFERENCE

shock

n. · v. · adj.
US //ˈʃɑk// UK //ʃˈɒk// shock
  1. 1 emotional surprise (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Psychology

    a sudden, unpleasant surprise that makes you feel upset or confused.

    a sudden and disturbing physical or mental experience caused by an unexpected event.

    Example

    It was a huge shock to hear that the company was closing so suddenly.

    Example

    The news of the sudden policy reversal came as a profound shock to the local community, who had expected years of stability.
  2. 2 medical condition (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Medicine

    a dangerous medical condition where the blood does not move around the body correctly.

    a critical physiological state characterized by a sudden drop in blood flow through the body, often following trauma.

    Example

    The victim was treated for shock after the car accident.

    Example

    Paramedics monitored the patient closely for signs of hypovolemic shock while transporting him to the intensive care unit.
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  1. 3 electricity (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Physics

    the painful feeling of electricity passing through your body.

    the physiological effect or sensation caused by an electric current passing through the body.

    Example

    I got a small shock when I touched the metal door handle.

    Example

    Always disconnect the power supply before attempting repairs to avoid the risk of a fatal electric shock.
  2. 4 physical impact (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Physics

    a sudden, heavy hit or crash.

    a violent collision or impact between two bodies.

    Example

    The watch is designed to survive the shock of being dropped on the floor.

    Example

    The structural engineers reinforced the bridge to withstand the seismic shocks common in that particular geographical region.
  3. 5 thick hair (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Literary

    a thick, messy pile of hair on someone's head.

    a thick, bushy, or tangled mass of hair.

    Example

    He had a wild shock of white hair that made him look like a scientist.

    Example

    A thick shock of unruly black hair fell over his forehead, partially obscuring his eyes as he leaned over the manuscript.
  4. 6 to surprise or upset (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to make someone feel very surprised and upset.

    to affect with great surprise, horror, or disgust. Transitive; requires a direct object.

    Example

    The violent scenes in the movie shocked many people in the audience.

    Example

    The scale of the corruption scandal shocked the nation and led to immediate calls for the prime minister's resignation.
  5. 7 unexpected and surprising (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    used to describe something very surprising or upsetting, often in news.

    intended to cause intense surprise or horror; often used attributively in journalism.

    Example

    The team suffered a shock defeat in the first round of the tournament.

    Example

    The tabloid published a shock report claiming that the celebrity couple had secretly married over the weekend.
Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

Variant of shag.

Word family
Idioms2 entries

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