Definition

1. Noun:
   • A sensational message (in a film, play, or novel): A "shocker" is a piece of news, a plot twist, or a revelation within a story that is deliberately intended to surprise, scandalize, or deeply startle the audience or reader.
   • A shockingly bad person: A "shocker" can also refer to a person whose behavior, actions, or character is considered appallingly bad, offensive, or morally reprehensible.

Usage Examples

• As a sensational message:
  • The film's final scene, revealing the murderer, was a real shocker.
  • Her autobiography contained one shocker after another about her life in politics.
• As a shockingly bad person:
  • He lied to everyone about his past; he's an absolute shocker.
  • That politician turned out to be a shocker, involved in multiple scandals.

Advanced Usage

• "That's a shocker!": A common exclamation used to express that something is very surprising, often with a negative connotation.
  • "He failed the exam? That's a shocker—he never studies!"
• Used informally to describe something of surprisingly poor quality.
  • The state of the hotel room was a real shocker.

Variants and Related Words

• Shock (noun/verb): A sudden, upsetting surprise or the act of causing such a feeling.
  • The news of his resignation came as a shock.
• Shocking (adjective): Causing a feeling of surprise and dismay; offensive or appalling.
  • The conditions in the factory were shocking.
• Shock-jock (noun): A radio disc jockey who uses provocative, offensive, or shocking language and topics. (This is a related compound term, not a variant of "shocker" itself).

Synonyms

• Sensation: Something that causes great public interest and excitement.
• Scandal: An action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing public outrage.
• Monster (for the "bad person" sense): A person of repulsively unnatural character or cruelty.

Related Phrases

• Plot shocker: A specific term for a surprising twist in a story's narrative.
  • The third episode featured a major plot shocker that changed everything.
• Reveal the shocker: To disclose the surprising element.
  • The author saved the book's biggest shocker for the final chapter.

Related Idioms

• Come as a shocker: To be revealed or discovered in a very surprising way.
  • The test results came as a real shocker to the whole team.
• A bit of a shocker: A milder, more colloquial way to say something is quite surprising or disappointing.
  • The team's loss in the first round was a bit of a shocker.

Noun

1. a sensational message (in a film or play or novel)
2. a shockingly bad person