1. The feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
   "he was numb with shock";
   - daze, stupor
    
2. An unpleasant or disappointing surprise
   "it came as a shock to learn that he was injured";
   - blow
    
3. A sudden jarring impact
   "all the jars and jolts were smoothed out by the shock absorbers";
   - jolt, jar, jounce
    
4. (pathology) bodily collapse or near collapse caused by inadequate oxygen delivery to the cells; characterized by reduced cardiac output and rapid heartbeat and circulatory insufficiency and pallor
   "loss of blood is an important cause of shock"
    
5. A reflex response to the passage of electric current through the body
   "subjects received a small electric shock when they made the wrong response"; "electricians get accustomed to occasional shocks"; "subjects received a small electrical shock when they made the wrong response";
   - electric shock, electrical shock
    
6. The violent interaction of individuals or groups entering into combat
   "the armies met in the shock of battle";
   - impact
    
7. An instance of agitation of the earth's crust
   "the first shock of the earthquake came shortly after noon while workers were at lunch";
   - seismic disturbance
    
8. A mechanical damper; absorbs energy of sudden impulses
   "the old car needed a new set of shocks"; "The car's shock absorbers helped smooth out the bumpy ride";
   - shock absorber, cushion, damper
    
9. A bushy thick mass (especially hair)
   "he had an unruly shock of black hair"
    
10. A pile of sheaves of grain set on end in a field to dry; stalks of Indian corn set up in a field
    "corn is bound in small sheaves and several sheaves are set up together in shocks"; "whole fields of wheat in shock"

1. Greatly surprise
   "I was shocked when I heard that I was promoted";
   - floor, blow out of the water, take aback
    
2. Strike with disgust or revulsion
   "The scandalous behaviour of this married woman shocked her friends";
   - offend, scandalize, scandalise [Brit], appal [Brit, Cdn], appall [US], outrage
    
3. Strike with horror or terror
   "The news of the bombing shocked her"
    
4. Inflict a trauma upon
   "The accident shocked his nervous system";
   - traumatize, traumatise [Brit]
    
5. Subject to electrical shocks
   "The researchers shocked the lab rats to study their behaviour"
    
6. Collide violently
   "The two cars shocked into each other at the intersection"
    
7. Collect or gather into shocks
   "shock grain"

Derived forms: shocks, shocking, shocked

Type of: agglomerate, alarm, appal [Brit, Cdn], appall [US], blow, bump, care for, clash, collapse, collect, collide, combat, cumulation, cumulus, damper, disgust, dismay, earthquake, fight, fighting, garner, gather, heap, horrify, inborn reflex, injure, innate reflex, instinctive reflex, mass, mound, muffler, nauseate, physiological reaction, pile, prostration, pull together, quake, reflex, reflex action, reflex response, revolt, scrap, seism, sicken, stupefaction, surprise, temblor, treat, turn-up [Brit, informal], unconditioned reflex, wound

Part of: suspension, suspension system

Encyclopedia: Shock, The closed door