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shell shock
noun
: post-traumatic stress disorder occurring under wartime conditions (as combat) that cause intense stress : battle fatigue, combat fatigue
In the receiving ward he found a patient shivering on his bunk with a diagnosis—in this case accurate—of severe shell shock.—
Albert E. Cowdrey
A Veterans Administration psychiatrist, Dr. Jack Ewald, has reckoned that some 700,000 Vietnam veterans have suffered from various forms of "post-traumatic stress syndrome," the modern term for what was called "shell shock" in World War I and "battle fatigue" in World War II.—
Stanley Karnow
Examples of shell shock in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As a result, the shell shock of the past 24 months for consumers is still wearing off.
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Rob Wile, NBC News, 11 Jan. 2024
But Morrissey zeroes in on present-tense shell shock.
—
Armond White, National Review, 1 Nov. 2023
The book comprises portraits of healers, including W. H. R. Rivers, who treated soldiers who suffered from shell shock during the First World War, and Paul Robeson, who found solace in intuition and in the irrational.
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Condé Nast, The New Yorker, 17 July 2023
Richardson provided two of the three big swings over the first three innings that helped the Horned Frogs shell shock the Razorbacks and most of the 11,121 in attendance at Baum-Walker Stadium.
—
Matt Jones, Arkansas Online, 5 June 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shell shock.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1915, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near shell shock
Cite this Entry
“Shell shock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shell%20shock. Accessed 12 Sep. 2024.
Kids Definition
shell shock
noun
: any of numerous nervous conditions appearing in soldiers exposed to modern warfare
Medical Definition
shell shock
nounMore from Merriam-Webster on shell shock
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shell shock
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