# shockingly

/ˈʃɑkɪŋɫi/ (US) · /ʃˈɒkɪŋli/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Adverb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/shockingly
Updated: 2026-05-08

## Definition

in a way that is very surprising or upsetting. You use it to show that something is much worse or more extreme than you expected.

For teachers: in a manner that causes intense surprise, horror, or disgust. Often functions as a sentence-modifying disjunct to express the speaker's stance on the following information.

## Examples

- The price of the meal was shockingly high.
- The report revealed that the old bridge was shockingly close to collapsing during the last storm.
- Shockingly, the board members voted to approve the merger despite clear evidence that it would lead to immediate bankruptcy for the smaller firm.

## Usage notes

- As a degree adverb, it precedes the adjective it modifies; as a sentence adverb, it typically appears at the start of the clause.

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