shocker
Meaning
A person or thing that causes a feeling of surprise, horror, or disgust.
A sensational or shocking story, film, etc.
Structure
Usage
The film's violent ending was a real shocker.
The election result came as a shocker to most political analysts.
He's known for writing shockers that play on the audience's deepest fears.
Etymology
The word "shocker" is a transparent English compound built from the verb "shock" and the agentive suffix "-er." The core verb "shock" entered English in the mid-16th century from Middle Dutch, carrying the physical sense of a violent collision or jolt. By the 18th century, its meaning had extended metaphorically to describe a sudden and profound mental or emotional disturbance, akin to a physical blow. The addition of the productive Germanic suffix "-er," which denotes an agent or instrument, creates a noun that straightforwardly labels anything—be it a person, event, or story—that delivers such a startling or offensive impact.
Analysis
- shock: From Middle Dutch schokken (to jolt, push), of uncertain ultimate origin, possibly imitative. Functions as the core verb/root meaning. - er: From Old English -ere, a Germanic agent-noun suffix. Functions as a derivational suffix indicating "a person or thing that performs the action of the verb."