1. shock and awe - Noun
2. shock and awe - Verb
shock and awe (uncountable)
(military, also figuratively) A doctrine based on the use of spectacular displays of force. [from 1996]
shock and awe (third-person singular simple present shocks and awes, present participle shocking and awing or shocking and aweing, simple past and past participle shocked and awed)
(military, also figuratively) To utilize the "shock and awe" doctrine in an actual or potential conflict, or to otherwise utilize a spectacular display of force or authority.
I am still in shock and awe at being fired. Peter Arnett
I'm a big horror fan, but I don't enjoy a lot of gore and watching somebody cut their leg off for five hours. I like the older movies where it draws you into the suspense, that sort of shock and awe. Jacqueline MacInnes Wood
Great sci-fi has never shied from tackling the Big Questions, though really great sci-fi never forgets to entertain us along the way. Shock and awe applies to art, as well. Rick Yancey
I don't cry at books or movies. Ever. So imagine my shock and awe when I read 'The Time Traveler's Wife' for the second time, and I knew the ending, and I started to cry. Maggie Stiefvater