shock

noun (SURPRISE)

/ʃɒk/

/ʃɑːk/

Definition

B1 [C or U] (the emotional or physical reaction to) a sudden, unexpected, and usually unpleasant event or experience: Her mother's death came as a great shock - it was so unexpected. It was such a loud crash - it gave me/I got quite a shock. It was a shock to see her looking so ill. I was in (a state of) shock for about two weeks after the accident.UK The French suffered a shock defeat (= completely unexpected defeat) by the Italian side at the weekend.Surprising and shockingMaking people sad, shocked and upsetMaking people sad, shocked and upset a shock to the system › an unpleasant feeling that you experience when something new or unusual happens: It's really hard getting back to work after three months off - it's quite a shock to the system.Difficult situations and unpleasant experiencesAccidents and disasters

(Definition of shock noun (SURPRISE) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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