English Lexicon

Shock

/ʃɒk/
nounverbCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #1450 frequency
Full Thesaurus

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    A sudden upsetting or surprising event or experience.

    "The news of the merger came as a complete shock."
  2. 2

    An acute medical condition associated with a fall in blood pressure, often caused by severe injury.

    "The accident victim was treated for shock."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the Middle Dutch word 'schok' and Old French 'choc', relating to the blow or collision of horses charging in battle. Over centuries, the meaning broadened from a physical blow or impact to encompass sudden emotional disturbance and medical trauma.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Shock"?

Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Shock"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "Shock" Synonym Map