A sudden, jolting, usually distressing disturbance of mind at something unexpected..
A sudden, jolting, usually distressing disturbance of mind at something unexpected.
The sudden, jolting, usually distressing member: a violent, abrupt blow to the system, skewing negative (bad news, trauma — “the loss came as a shock”). More sudden and forceful than bewilderment or dismay, and uniquely it can be a literal bodily state (“in shock”). It overlaps dismay (both negative) but dismay adds discouragement, and stupefaction (both can stun) but stupefaction emphasizes lasting numbness, shock the moment of impact.
A sudden, jolting, usually distressing disturbance of mind at something unexpected.
The “disturbing impression on the mind” sense dates to about 1705.
A dangerous collapse of circulation after trauma; also an electric shock or a violent collision.
From the original military “violent encounter” (1560s); the medical sense by 1804, the electrical by 1746.
1560s, originally “violent encounter of armed forces,” a military term, from French choc “violent attack,” from choquer “strike against” (probably of Germanic origin). The literal root is a violent collision.
A textbook broadening: military “violent encounter” (1560s) → “sudden blow” (1610s) → “disturbing impression on the mind” (1705) → electrical (1746) → medical (1804) → the subjective feeling (1876). Later: shock therapy, shock value, shock jock, culture shock, sticker shock.