Shock Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

What is a basic definition of shock?

A shock is a sudden, intense mental or physical impact. Shock is also the effect of having electricity run through the body. To shock someone means to intensely surprise or horrify someone. Shock has several other senses as a noun and a verb.

The word shock often refers to a sudden mental disturbance that causes an intense emotion, usually surprise or horror. You might feel a shock when you see a failing grade on a test. The word shock can also refer to whatever causes this sudden surprise. The noun shocker and adjective shocking often refer to this sense of shock.

• Used in a sentence: It took Julie a few minutes to recover from the shock of seeing a dancing circus bear in her living room. 

Shock is used in this same sense as a verb to mean to cause someone to be suddenly overwhelmed by emotion (usually surprise or horror).

• Used in a sentence: I was shocked by my incredibly high phone bill.  

A shock can also be a sudden physical impact. This sense is less common than the emotional one.

• Used in a sentence: The springs absorbed most of the shock from colliding with the wall. 

Shock also refers to the bodily imbalance, discomfort, or damage caused by electricity running through a person’s body. This sense is often specifically referred to as “an electric shock,” especially when discussing injuries or medical emergencies.

• Used in a sentence: The electrician barely survived the electric shock he got while working on the power lines. 

In this same sense, shock is used as a verb to mean to give an electric shock to someone.

• Used in a sentence: The squirrel was shocked by the cord while chewing on it.