Shocking
Meaning: Terrible, appalling, very bad
British and Irish slang meaning terrible or very bad—stronger than 'bad' but used casually. Different from standard 'shocking' meaning surprising.
Examples
- The weather today is shocking. 今天天气太糟了。El clima hoy está horrible.今日の天気最悪。오늘 날씨 최악이야.
- His behavior was absolutely shocking. 他的行为简直令人发指。Su comportamiento fue absolutamente terrible.彼の行動は本当にひどかった。그의 행동은 정말 형편없었어.
- That film was shocking—don't waste your money. 那部电影太烂了——别浪费钱。Esa película fue espantosa—no gastes tu dinero.あの映画ひどかった——お金の無駄。그 영화 최악이었어——돈 낭비하지 마.
- I played shocking golf today.今天我的高尔夫打得太差了。Jugué un golf horrible hoy.今日のゴルフひどかった。오늘 골프 형편없이 쳤어.
Pronunciation
/ˈʃɒkɪŋ/
Usage Guide
Context: criticism, disappointment, quality
Tone: disapproving, emphatic
✓ Do Say
- That's shocking.那太糟了Eso es terribleそれひどいね그건 최악이야.
- Absolutely shocking.简直令人发指Absolutamente horrible本当に最悪정말 형편없어.
- The service was shocking.服务太差了El servicio fue espantosoサービスひどかった서비스가 최악이었어.
✗ Don't Say
- Different from American 'shocking' (surprising)与美式'shocking'(令人震惊)不同Diferente del 'shocking' americano (sorprendente)アメリカの「shocking」(驚くべき)とは違う미국식 'shocking'(놀라운)과 다른 뜻
- Can confuse non-British speakers可能让非英国人困惑Puede confundir a no británicos非イギリス人は戸惑うかも영국인이 아닌 사람은 혼동할 수 있음
Common Mistakes
- British meaning: terrible (not surprising)
- American meaning: surprising (not bad)
Origin & History
British and Irish use of 'shocking' to mean terrible rather than surprising. Expresses strong disapproval or poor quality.
Etymology: From surprising shock to meaning surprisingly bad
First recorded: British/Irish slang from 20th century
Cultural Context
Era: 20th century onwards
Generation: All ages in UK/Ireland
Social background: Universal
Pop culture: Common in British/Irish everyday speech; Sports and weather complaints
Regional notes: British/Irish meaning is 'terrible.' Americans mean 'surprising.'
Variations
Related Phrases
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