erschüttern
Translation
to shake, to shock, to shatter, to rock
Examples
Ein Erdbeben erschütterte die Region.
An earthquake shook the region.
Sein Tod hat uns alle tief erschüttert.
His death shocked us all deeply.
Grammar Patterns
((sth./sb.)) to shake/shock sth./sb. The news deeply erschütterte me.
Similar Words
Synonyms: aufrütteln (to shake up), schockieren (to shock), bewegen (to move emotionally)
Etymology
The prefix 'er-' often indicates the beginning or completion of an action. 'Schüttern' is an intensive form of 'schütteln' (to shake).
Memory Tips
It's used both for physical shaking (like an earthquake) and emotional shaking (like shocking news).