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Glite Dictionary
to reel with shock

to reel with shock

7.2
To feel so shocked for a short time that you cannot think or speak
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : quedarse atónito
  • Alicia cried, reeling with shock and horror.

Examples

  • His head was reeling with shock.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • After hearing the unexpected news, she was left reeling with shock and couldn't find the words to respond.

  • When the doctor gave him the diagnosis, he stood frozen, reeling with shock at the news.

  • He was reeling with shock after discovering that he had won the lottery against all odds.

Synonyms

to boggle
vsto reel with shock
58 7.2

To be so surprised or confused that you hesitate and cannot think clearly

is a brief stunned reaction that prevents immediate action
to reel
vsto reel with shock
48 4.5

To feel shocked and unable to think clearly after bad news

focuses on brief inability to react or think rather than physical unsteadiness
to lose one's wits
vsto reel with shock
7.9

To get very confused and unable to think clearly

lasts only briefly and stops any immediate reaction or response
to freeze like a deer in the headlights
vsto reel with shock
  • Informal
7.7

Suddenly stop moving because you feel afraid or surprised

is about brief loss of clear thinking and response rather than immobility

Antonyms

to calm
962 1.0

Make a person or animal less upset

to think clearly
34 3.4

Able to use your mind without confusion to make good decisions

How Shocked

dumbfounded
7 4.6
to reel with shock
7.2
stunned
29 3.0
shocked
543 2.1
surprised
357 1.0

Surface Forms

reel with shock infinitive
reeled with shock past
reeled with shock past participle
reeling with shock present participle
reels with shock third person singular

Morphology

reel + with + shock

The meaning is directly derivable from the parts: 'reel' (to be disoriented or stagger) combined with 'with shock' (indicating the cause) yields 'be disoriented because of shock.' This compositional verb + with + noun pattern is common in English and across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words should be able to infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Reel with shock comes from the image of someone who takes a sudden physical wobble called a reel, like when you are hit or lose your balance from a sudden shock. So, to reel with shock means 'to be so shocked that you cannot react or think clearly'.