verb
Common
shook
shuuk
Shook (verb) means past tense of "shake.". Example: “The whole building shook during the earthquake.”
verb
1
Past tense of "shake."
"The whole building shook during the earthquake."
"He shook her hand firmly."
"The little boy shook his head and refused to eat any more vegetables."
adj
1
Rattled, upset, or emotionally shaken by something.
"She looked genuinely shook after the near-miss on the motorway."
"Honestly, I'm still pretty shook after that horror film we watched last night."
"He seemed shook when the lights suddenly went out in the lift."
How to use shook
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the past tense of "shake," or (informally) badly rattled by an experience.
When to use it
The adjective use ("I'm shook") is informal slang, popularised through internet and hip-hop culture.
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Word forms
- Plural
- shooks
- Third person singular
- shooks
- Past tense
- shooked
- Comparative
- more shook
- Superlative
- most shook
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The whole building _____ during the earthquake.
Etymology
Compare shock (“a bundle of sheaves”).
Related words
Rhymes for shook
See all rhymes for shook →Frequently asked questions
What does “shook” mean?
The word “shook” means past tense of "shake.". In plain terms, either the past tense of "shake," or (informally) badly rattled by an experience.
How do you pronounce “shook”?
“Shook” is pronounced shuuk (/ʃʊk/ in IPA).
How do you use “shook” in a sentence?
Here is “shook” used in a sentence: “The whole building shook during the earthquake.”
What is another word for “shook”?
Words with a similar meaning to “shook” include stook and shooketh.
What part of speech is “shook”?
Depending on how it is used, “shook” can be a verb and an adjective.
Is “shook” a common word?
“Shook” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “shook” have?
“Shook” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: past tense of "shake.".
Is it "shook" or "shaken"?
"Shook" is the simple past tense of "shake" — "she shook the bottle" — while "shaken" is the past participle used with helping verbs: "the bottle was shaken." In formal English, "have shook" or "was shook" is nonstandard; use "have shaken" and "was shaken" instead.
Is saying "I'm shook" grammatically correct?
Not by formal rules, where the correct form is "I'm shaken." But "shook" has become an established informal adjective meaning rattled, upset, or emotionally shaken, and in that slang register "I'm shook" is the natural, expected phrasing. Keep it to casual speech and writing.
What is the difference between "shook" and "shooketh"?
Both are slang for being rattled or emotionally shaken. "Shooketh" is a jokey, mock-archaic version of "shook," borrowing an old-fashioned verb ending to exaggerate the shock for comic effect, and it appears almost exclusively online or in playful speech.
What is the difference between "shook" and "shook up"?
"Shook up" describes being emotionally disturbed by a specific event — "she was pretty shook up after the crash" — and in careful writing becomes "shaken up." Plain "shook" as an adjective is newer slang covering the same ground of being rattled or upset, but it reads as distinctly informal, internet-flavoured English.
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