Shocking and Surprising

Shocking

Shocking adjective - Causing a strong emotional reaction because of unexpectedness.
Usage example: we all clustered around to hear the shocking news of our colleague's sudden death

Surprising is a synonym for shocking in stunning topic. In some cases you can use "Surprising" instead an adjective "Shocking".

Nearby Words: shock, shocked, shockingly, shocker

Surprising

Surprising adjective - Causing a strong emotional reaction because of unexpectedness.
Usage example: the surprising news that they were going to have a baby had them rushing to buy nursery furniture

Shocking is a synonym for surprising in unexpected topic. You can use "Shocking" instead an adjective "Surprising".

Nearby Words: surprise, surprisingly, surprised, surprizing
Cite this Source
Surprising and Shocking. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/shocking/surprising
Shocking & Surprising. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/shocking/surprising>.
Surprising or Shocking. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/shocking/surprising.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "shocking" and "surprising" have occurred on timeline