Meaning & use
shockproof
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Designed so that strong knocks, drops, or sudden impacts do not damage it.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb, like other -proof adjectives: a shockproof case / the case is shockproof.
Patterns
- shockproof + noun
- be shockproof
This shockproof phone case survived a fall down the stairs.
The lab stores the samples in shockproof boxes.
Her new watch is shockproof, so she wears it while rock climbing.
verbtransitivetechnical
To make a device or container able to resist strong impacts.
Grammar: Takes an object: shockproof the housing. Often used in the passive: the housing is shockproofed.
Patterns
- shockproof something
- be shockproofed against something
Engineers shockproofed the instrument panel before shipping it.
The casing must be shockproofed against vibration during launch.
Word forms
| third person singular | shockproofs |
|---|---|
| past tense | shockproofed |
| past participle | shockproofed |
| -ing form | shockproofing |
Common combinations
- shockproof case
- A shockproof case kept the camera safe on the trip.
- shockproof watch
- He bought a shockproof watch for the building site.
- fully shockproof
- The new model is fully shockproof and waterproof.
- shockproof design
- Its shockproof design protects the screen from bumps.
Synonyms and how they differ
- impact-resistant
- More formal and common in product descriptions; it stresses resistance to blows rather than to any shock.
- rugged
- Describes tough equipment generally, including dust and water resistance, not just impacts.
- reinforced
- Focuses on added strength from extra material, not specifically on surviving drops.
Opposites
Word family
- shockproofing noun
- The process or material used to protect something from impacts.
Commonly confused: shockproof or waterproof?
shockproof vs waterproof
Waterproof means water cannot get in; shockproof means knocks cannot damage it. A case can be one, the other, or both.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'shockproof' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Shockproof' means able to survive impacts, so surviving a knock fits. Option 1 contradicts the meaning, option 2 confuses it with 'waterproof', and option 3 is nonsense because salt has nothing to do with impacts.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “shockproof”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.