adj
shocking
SHO-kihng
adj
1
Extremely surprising, upsetting, or disturbing.
"The report revealed shocking levels of pollution in the river."
"It's shocking how little he knows about his own company."
2
Very poor in quality.
"The service at that restaurant was shocking."
How to Use Shocking
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSo bad, surprising, or disturbing that it stops you in your tracks.
When to use it
In British informal speech, "shocking" often just means "very bad," as in "shocking weather."
Common pairings
shocking news
absolutely shocking
shocking behaviour
Word Forms
more shocking comparative, shockings plural, most shocking superlative
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The report revealed _____ levels of pollution in the river.