der Schock, -s

The German word "Schock" is a noun borrowed from English and means "shock" in the sense of a sudden, strong emotional or physical impact.

• It originates from the English word shock referring to a sudden surprise or traumatic event.
• In German, it’s used similarly for physical medical states (e.g. Herzschock – cardiac shock) or emotional states (e.g. er erlitt einen Schock – he suffered a shock).

Words with similar meaning:

• Entsetzen (terror/horror)
• Erschütterung (shock, as in shaking or disturbance)
• Störung (disruption)

Differences:

• Schock emphasizes suddenness and intensity in both emotional and physical contexts.
• Entsetzen leans more on fear or horror.
• Erschütterung focuses more on physical or metaphorical shaking.
• Störung is more general, meaning a disruption or disorder, not necessarily sudden or traumatic.