1a sudden upsetting or surprising event or experience:it was a shock to face such hostile attitudes
a feeling of disturbed surprise resulting from a sudden upsetting event:her death gave us all a terrible shock [mass noun]:her eyes opened wide in shock
a disturbance causing instability in an economy:trading imbalances caused by the two oil shocks
short for electric shock.the home-made lighting gave my father a shock when he touched the aquarium
2 [mass noun] an acute medical condition associated with a fall in blood pressure, caused by such events as loss of blood, severe burns, allergic reaction, or sudden emotional stress, and marked by cold, pallid skin, irregular breathing, rapid pulse, and dilated pupils:he died of shock due to massive abdominal haemorrhage
3a violent shaking movement caused by an impact, explosion, or tremor:earthquake shocks [mass noun]:rackets today don’t bend or absorb shock the way wooden rackets do
1 [with object] cause (someone) to feel surprised and upset:she was shocked at the state of his injuries
offend the moral feelings of; outrage:the revelations shocked the nation
[no object] experience outrage:he shocked so easily
2affect with physiological shock, or with an electric shock:if a patient is deeply shocked, measurement of blood pressure may be difficult
3 [no object] archaic collide violently:carriage after carriage shocked fiercely against the engine
short, sharp shock
British
a brief but harsh custodial sentence intended to discourage an offender from committing further offences:the short, sharp shock didn’t affect me—I carried on stealing
