50 Idioms for Shock With Meanings & Sentences
Idioms for Shock
1. Knocked for a loop
Meaning: To be greatly surprised or shocked by something.
In a Sentence: Finding out that she won the contest knocked Sarah for a loop.
Other Ways to Say: Flabbergasted, Astounded.
2. Taken aback
Meaning: To be surprised or startled.
In a Sentence: I was taken aback by his rude response.
Other Ways to Say: Stunned, Surprised, Startled.
3. Shell-shocked
Meaning: Deeply shocked or stunned.
In a Sentence: She was shell-shocked after hearing the bad news.
Other Ways to Say: Stupefied, Numb, Overwhelmed.
4. Drop a bombshell
Meaning: To surprise people with unexpected news.
In a Sentence: The manager dropped a bombshell by announcing layoffs.
Other Ways to Say: Shock, Surprise, Astonish.
5. Out of the blue
Meaning: Happening unexpectedly.
In a Sentence: The offer came out of the blue.
Other Ways to Say: Suddenly, Without warning, Unexpectedly.
6. Hit like a ton of bricks
Meaning: Shocked very strongly.
In a Sentence: The news hit me like a ton of bricks.
Other Ways to Say: Devastated, Staggered, Overwhelmed.
7. Eyes popped out
Meaning: Greatly surprised or shocked visually.
In a Sentence: His eyes popped out when he saw the prize money.
Other Ways to Say: Gawked, Gaped, Stared in disbelief.
8. Heart skipped a beat
Meaning: Feeling sudden shock or excitement.
In a Sentence: My heart skipped a beat when I heard the announcement.
Other Ways to Say: Jolted, Stunned, Startled.
9. Catch someone off guard
Meaning: Surprise someone unexpectedly.
In a Sentence: His question caught me off guard.
Other Ways to Say: Unprepared, Startle, Surprise.
10. Jaw dropped
Meaning: Extreme shock or surprise.
In a Sentence: My jaw dropped when I saw the new house.
Other Ways to Say: Stunned, Amazed, Speechless.
11. Blow away
Meaning: To amaze or shock greatly.
In a Sentence: The magician’s trick blew the audience away.
Other Ways to Say: Astonish, Stun, Impress.
12. Goosebumps appeared
Meaning: Physical reaction to shock or emotion.
In a Sentence: I got goosebumps when I heard the eerie sound.
Other Ways to Say: Chills, Shivers, Tingling.
13. Shook to the core
Meaning: Deeply and emotionally shocked.
In a Sentence: The tragedy shook the town to the core.
Other Ways to Say: Devastated, Heartbroken, Overwhelmed.
14. A bombshell announcement
Meaning: An extremely surprising public statement.
In a Sentence: The celebrity made a bombshell announcement last night.
Other Ways to Say: Shocking news, Major revelation, Surprise declaration.
15. Staggered belief
Meaning: Struggling to believe something shocking.
In a Sentence: I staggered in disbelief at the news.
Other Ways to Say: Stunned, Dazed, Shocked.
16. Eyes like saucers
Meaning: Eyes widened in shock or amazement.
In a Sentence: His eyes were like saucers when he saw the bill.
Other Ways to Say: Wide-eyed, Astonished, Staring.
17. Freeze in place
Meaning: Become motionless from shock.
In a Sentence: I froze in place when I saw the accident.
Other Ways to Say: Stop dead, Stiffen, Stun.
18. Stopped me dead in my tracks
Meaning: Suddenly halted due to shock or surprise.
In a Sentence: The scream stopped me dead in my tracks.
Other Ways to Say: Paralyzed, Froze, Paused.
19. At a loss for words
Meaning: Too shocked to speak.
In a Sentence: I was at a loss for words when I saw the surprise party.
Other Ways to Say: Speechless, Stunned, Dumbfounded.
20. Couldn’t believe my eyes
Meaning: Extremely surprised by what one sees.
In a Sentence: I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the results.
Other Ways to Say: In disbelief, Staggered, Amazed.
21. Turned pale
Meaning: Lose color from shock or fear.
In a Sentence: She turned pale when she saw the accident.
Other Ways to Say: Blanched, Lost color, Went white.
22. Scared stiff
Meaning: Extremely frightened and unable to move.
In a Sentence: He was scared stiff when he saw the snake.
Other Ways to Say: Petrified, Terrified, Frozen.
23. Wide-eyed wonder
Meaning: Looking with eyes wide open in amazement.
In a Sentence: The child watched with wide-eyed wonder.
Other Ways to Say: Astonished, Amazed, Staring.
24. Speechless with shock
Meaning: Too surprised to speak.
In a Sentence: She was speechless with shock at the gift.
Other Ways to Say: Dumbfounded, Stunned, Silent.
25. Gasp in disbelief
Meaning: Breathe in sharply when shocked.
In a Sentence: I gasped in disbelief when I saw the final score.
Other Ways to Say: Choked, Snapped, Heaved.
26. Stunned silence
Meaning: A moment of complete quiet caused by shock.
In a Sentence: The room fell into stunned silence after his confession.
Other Ways to Say: Speechless hush, Dead quiet, Wordless shock.
27. Frozen with fear
Meaning: Unable to move due to extreme fright or shock.
In a Sentence: She was frozen with fear when she saw the shadow.
Other Ways to Say: Paralyzed, Stiff, Motionless.
28. Knock your socks off
Meaning: To greatly surprise or impress.
In a Sentence: The ending of the movie will knock your socks off.
Other Ways to Say: Astound, Amaze, Blow away.
29. Mind-blowing
Meaning: Extremely shocking or surprising.
In a Sentence: The magician’s trick was absolutely mind-blowing.
Other Ways to Say: Astounding, Incredible, Staggering.
30. Like a deer in headlights
Meaning: Stunned and unable to respond.
In a Sentence: I stood like a deer in headlights when called on stage.
Other Ways to Say: Frozen, Stunned, Speechless.
31. Turn someone’s world upside down
Meaning: To completely shock or surprise someone.
In a Sentence: The news of his promotion turned his world upside down.
Other Ways to Say: Shake up, Overturn, Disrupt.
32. Breath taken away
Meaning: To be so shocked one can hardly breathe.
In a Sentence: The sight of the mountains took my breath away.
Other Ways to Say: Awestruck, Amazed, Dazed.
33. Dumbstruck
Meaning: Unable to speak due to shock.
In a Sentence: He was dumbstruck when he won the award.
Other Ways to Say: Speechless, Stunned, Silent.
34. Flabbergasted
Meaning: Extremely shocked and surprised.
In a Sentence: I was flabbergasted when I heard about the scandal.
Other Ways to Say: Astonished, Dazed, Staggered.
35. Drop your jaw
Meaning: To leave someone very shocked.
In a Sentence: The size of the stadium dropped my jaw.
Other Ways to Say: Astonish, Overwhelm, Startle.
36. Send shivers down one’s spine
Meaning: Cause someone to feel shock or fear.
In a Sentence: The eerie story sent shivers down my spine.
Other Ways to Say: Terrify, Alarm, Chill.
37. Heart in your mouth
Meaning: Extreme nervousness or shock.
In a Sentence: My heart was in my mouth during the test results.
Other Ways to Say: Tense, Uneasy, Breathless.
38. Drop-dead shocked
Meaning: Extremely stunned or surprised.
In a Sentence: I was drop-dead shocked by her decision.
Other Ways to Say: Thunderstruck, Speechless, Dazed.
39. Lightheaded with shock
Meaning: Feeling faint or dizzy due to shock.
In a Sentence: I felt lightheaded with shock after hearing the news.
Other Ways to Say: Dizzy, Staggered, Woozy.
40. A total knockout
Meaning: Something that amazes or surprises greatly.
In a Sentence: Her performance was a total knockout.
Other Ways to Say: Showstopper, Stunner, Wonder.
41. In a daze
Meaning: Feeling confused and shocked.
In a Sentence: I wandered in a daze after the incident.
Other Ways to Say: Bewildered, Stunned, Lost.
42. Shake someone to the core
Meaning: To deeply affect someone emotionally.
In a Sentence: The tragedy shook me to the core.
Other Ways to Say: Devastate, Overwhelm, Unsettle.
43. Knock the wind out of someone
Meaning: Leave someone breathless with shock.
In a Sentence: His harsh words knocked the wind out of me.
Other Ways to Say: Stagger, Stun, Overwhelm.
44. Send someone reeling
Meaning: To deeply shock or upset.
In a Sentence: The scandal sent the community reeling.
Other Ways to Say: Disturb, Shake, Alarm.
45. Have a fit
Meaning: Express extreme shock or anger.
In a Sentence: She had a fit when she heard the price.
Other Ways to Say: Rage, Explode, Lose it.
46. Catch your breath
Meaning: Struggle to recover from shock or surprise.
In a Sentence: It took a moment to catch my breath after the shock.
Other Ways to Say: Compose, Settle, Regroup.
47. Eyes bugged out
Meaning: Eyes widen in shock or amazement.
In a Sentence: His eyes bugged out at the huge trophy.
Other Ways to Say: Gawked, Stared, Gaped.
48. Fall apart
Meaning: Lose control emotionally due to shock.
In a Sentence: She fell apart after hearing the news.
Other Ways to Say: Break down, Collapse, Deteriorate.
49. Dazed and confused
Meaning: In a state of shock and bewilderment.
In a Sentence: He was dazed and confused after the loss.
Other Ways to Say: Bewildered, Stunned, Muddled.
50. Thunderstruck
Meaning: Extremely shocked and amazed.
In a Sentence: I was thunderstruck when I saw the results.
Other Ways to Say: Flabbergasted, Staggered, Astounded.
