shock value

noun

: usefulness to surprise and usually upset people

He uses offensive language for (its) shock value.

Examples of shock value in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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These antics only cemented his power as an intimidating, macho figure and added to the shock value of the show. —

Kyndall Cunningham, Vox, 31 Oct. 2024 Gore is used for shock value, including a scene where Freddy forces a dieting model (Erika Anderson) to eat her organs while seated at a dinner party, plus a dream sequence where Freddy's mother gives birth to him in the Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital. —

Michael Lee Simpson, EW.com, 22 Oct. 2024 The way that their paths intersect and the doctor’s growing fascination with them leads to a climax that’s less reliant on shock value and more on the existential nightmares that the reader can envision. —

Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2024 But like the great horror directors of the past, Whannell understands that suspense is just as important as shock value. —

Katie Rife, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for shock value