ENGLISH
REFERENCE

shook

n.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈʃʊk// UK //ʃˈʊk// shook Informal Slang

n. feeling very shocked, surprised, or upset by something. You use this when something happens that you did not expect at all.

n. emotionally shaken, surprised, or deeply affected by a recent event. Informal in register and primarily used in predicative positions following a linking verb.


SIMPLE

I was totally shook after seeing that movie.

CONTEXTUAL

The news of the sudden office closure left the entire team shook and worried about their future.

COMPLEX

Even the most experienced reporters were visibly shook by the intensity of the witness testimony, which challenged their professional detachment.

Synonyms
Origin

Compare shock (“a bundle of sheaves”).

Usage

Typically follows a linking verb like 'be', 'feel', or 'get'.

Pitfall

He was very shakingHe was shookLearners often confuse the slang adjective 'shook' with the continuous verb 'shaking' or the standard participle 'shaken'.

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