Shell-shocked

Alternative forms

• shellshocked, shell shocked

Full definition of shell-shocked

Adjective

1. (dated) Stunned or mentally unbalanced by prolonged stress such as experienced in combat or under fire (shell-fire); suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
• 1922, Zane Grey, The Call of the Canyon, ch. 1:Glenn Kilbourne had returned from France early that fall, shell-shocked and gassed, and otherwise incapacitated for service in the army—a wreck of his former sterling self.
2. (figuratively) Confused as a result of a traumatic experience.
• 2008, Luke Mullins, "The Top 5 Housing-Market Hopes for 2009," U.S.News & World Report, 18 Dec. (retrieved 22 Dec. 2008)With inflationary pressures easing and economic concerns mounting, shell-shocked investors are seeking the protection of government securities.