English Reference
adjective

shocked

adj.
US /ˈʃɑkt/ UK /ʃˈɒkt/ shocked

  1. 01 B1 Intermediate

    feeling very surprised, upset, or angry because something bad or unexpected happened.

    experiencing a sudden and powerful emotional disturbance, often involving disbelief or indignation.

    Simple

    We were absolutely shocked to hear that the local library was closing down.

    In context

    The community was deeply shocked by the sudden resignation of the headteacher, who had served the school for over twenty years.

    Pitfall
    The news was very shocked. The news was very shocking.

    Use 'shocked' to describe how a person feels, and 'shocking' to describe the thing that causes the feeling.

    unmovedindifferent
  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Medicine

    suffering from a dangerous physical condition where the blood does not flow properly after an injury.

    experiencing a life-threatening physiological state characterized by a sudden drop in blood flow through the body.

    Simple

    The hikers were cold and shocked after being rescued from the mountain.

    In context

    Paramedics treated the shocked survivors for hypothermia before transporting them to the nearest trauma centre for further evaluation.

    traumatised
  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Physics

    having had electricity pass through the body.

    subjected to an electric discharge or current passing through the body.

    Simple

    The worker was shocked when he touched the live wire by mistake.

    In context

    The technician was severely shocked while attempting to repair the high-voltage transformer without proper grounding equipment.

Education Secretary Lucy Powell said she was "deeply shocked and saddened" to hear about the death and she urged people to "remember there are real people with loved ones involved".

BBC News· 15 Aug 2026

She wrote on X: “I’m deeply shocked and saddened to hear about the death of Jason Arday.

BreakingNews.ie· 15 Aug 2026
This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Common
Updated