shocking
9 synonyms and 3 antonyms for shocking, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adj — Extremely surprising, upsetting, or disturbing.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. adj
Extremely surprising, upsetting, or disturbing.
“The shocking news left the whole village silent for several minutes.”
Opposites
2. adj
Very poor in quality.
“The standard of the food at the canteen was absolutely shocking.”
Opposites
How to use shocking
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
shocking news
absolutely shocking
shocking behaviour
In British informal speech, "shocking" often just means "very bad," as in "shocking weather."
Etymology
Formed from shock and -ing.
Full origin of shocking →Frequently asked questions
What does “shocking” mean?
The word “shocking” means extremely surprising, upsetting, or disturbing. In plain terms, so bad, surprising, or disturbing that it stops you in your tracks.
How do you pronounce “shocking”?
“Shocking” is pronounced SHO-kihng (/ˈʃɑkɪŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “shocking” in a sentence?
Here is “shocking” used in a sentence: “The report revealed shocking levels of pollution in the river.”
What part of speech is “shocking”?
“Shocking” is an adjective.
Is “shocking” a common word?
“Shocking” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “shocking” have?
“Shocking” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: extremely surprising, upsetting, or disturbing.
What is the difference between shocking and surprising?
Surprising simply means unexpected, while shocking is much stronger, implying something is extremely upsetting, disturbing, or offensive as well as unexpected. A shocking event provokes a strong emotional reaction, whereas a surprising one may be mild or even pleasant.
What is the difference between shocking and shocked?
Shocking describes the thing that causes the reaction, as in "a shocking result," while shocked describes the person feeling it, as in "I was shocked." Mixing the two is a common mistake: the cause is shocking and the person is shocked.
Is shocking always negative?
Almost always. Shocking describes something extremely surprising and upsetting, or something very poor in quality, so it carries a strongly negative tone. It is rarely used for good things, though "shockingly good" can be used for deliberate emphasis.
