English Reference
Noun

shocker

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˈʃɑkɝ/ UK /ʃˈɒkɐ/ shock·er UK spelling shockers Agriculture

n.something that is very surprising or upsetting. You use this word when a piece of news or an event is much more shocking than you expected.

n.An event, piece of news, or action that causes a sudden and intense feeling of surprise or dismay. Often used in journalism to describe unexpected sports results or scandals.


SIMPLE

The final score was a real shocker.

CONTEXTUAL

It was a total shocker when the favorite to win the race finished in last place.

COMPLEX

The morning headlines delivered a absolute shocker, revealing that the CEO had resigned effective immediately following the audit results.

Usage

Often used with the adjective 'real' or 'total' for emphasis.


From shock + -er.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated