General
shook
What does shook mean?
To be deeply surprised or thrown off by something. Being "shook" means a moment hit you hard enough to leave you stunned.
"That plot twist had me shook."
Origin
"Shook" as slang for scared or shaken has roots in AAVE and was cemented in hip-hop by Mobb Deep's 1995 "Shook Ones." The "shocked/surprised" sense spread widely via Gen-Z internet culture.
Frequently asked questions
What does shook mean in slang?
Shook means shocked, rattled, or badly shaken — caught off guard emotionally.
Where did shook come from?
It has AAVE roots and was popularized in hip-hop by Mobb Deep's 1995 "Shook Ones," later spreading via Gen-Z internet culture.
Does shook mean scared or surprised?
Both — it originally leaned toward scared or rattled, while the modern internet sense often means very surprised.
How do you use shook in a sentence?
For example: "that twist had me shook" — meaning it shocked you.
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