Phrase guide

shock and awe

noun · verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈʃɒk(ə)nd ˈɔː/
  • General-American: /ˈʃɑk(ə)nd ˈɔ/
  • cot-caught-merger: /ˈʃɑk(ə)nd ˈɑ/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɔː

1

noun

Meaning 1

A doctrine based on the use of spectacular displays of force.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: also, figuratively, uncountable

Topics: government, military, politics, war

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To use the "shock and awe" doctrine in an actual or potential conflict, or to otherwise use a spectacular display of force or authority.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: also, figuratively

Topics: government, military, politics, war

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Coined by American defence strategists Harlan Kenneth Ullman (born 1941) and James P. Wade, Jr., in Shock and Awe (1996): see the quotation. The term gained greater public attention during the 2003 invasion of Iraq by US troops.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: الصدمة والترويع — doctrine based on the use of spectacular displays of force
  • French: choc et effroi — doctrine based on the use of spectacular displays of force
  • French: choc et stupeur — doctrine based on the use of spectacular displays of force
  • Greek: σοκ και δέος (sok kai déos) — doctrine based on the use of spectacular displays of force
  • Hebrew: הלם ומורא — doctrine based on the use of spectacular displays of force
  • Korean: 충격과 공포 (chunggyeokgwa gongpo) — doctrine based on the use of spectacular displays of force
  • Polish: doktryna szoku i przerażenia — doctrine based on the use of spectacular displays of force
  • Portuguese: choque e pavor — doctrine based on the use of spectacular displays of force
  • Slovak: šok a hrôza — doctrine based on the use of spectacular displays of force
  • Spanish: shock y pavor — doctrine based on the use of spectacular displays of force
  • Polish: wprowadzać w życie doktrynę szoku i przerażenia — to use the "shock and awe" doctrine
  • Polish: wprowadzić w życie doktrynę szoku i przerażenia — to use the "shock and awe" doctrine