1
: an abrupt, sharp, jerky blow or movement
awoke with a jolt
2
a(1)
: a sudden feeling of shock, surprise, or disappointment
the news gave them a jolt
(2)
: an event or development causing such a feeling
the defeat was quite a jolt
b
: a serious setback or reverse
a severe financial jolt
3
: a small but potent or bracing portion of something
a jolt of horseradish
jolted; jolting; jolts
1
a
: to disturb the composure of : shock
crudely jolted out of that mood—
Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolfan announcement that jolted the community
b
: to interfere with roughly, abruptly, and disconcertingly
determination to pursue his own course was jolted badly—F. L. Paxson
F. L. Paxson2
: to cause to move with a sudden jerky motion
passengers being jolted along a bumpy road
3
: to give a knock or blow to
specifically
: to jar with a quick or hard blow
: to move with a sudden jerky motion
jolter
noun
Synonyms
Examples of jolt in a Sentence
Noun
I sprang out of bed with a jolt.
The car stopped with a jolt.
I got quite a jolt when I heard the door slam.
The defeat was quite a jolt to the team.
The stock market suffered a major jolt yesterday.
She needed a jolt of caffeine to start her day.
The unexpected praise he received gave him a jolt of confidence.
Verb
The explosion jolted the ship.
He was jolted forward when the bus stopped suddenly.
The loud bang jolted me awake.
The attack jolted the country into action.
She jolted the medical world with her announcement.
Recent Examples on the WebAbbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Apr. 2024
Seeking a fresh start A $10 million grant awarded last fall by the U.S. Department of Agriculture could give a jolt of adrenaline to the county’s planting programs.
—Alyssa Johnson, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for jolt 
Noun
When Orphan Black co-creator John Fawcett read Kat and Niko Troubetzkoy’s new The CW show Sight Unseen, his response gave the half-sisters, who were producers on his own Peabody-winning BBC America series, a jolt of confidence.
—Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Apr. 2024
Seeking a fresh start A $10 million grant awarded last fall by the U.S. Department of Agriculture could give a jolt of adrenaline to the county’s planting programs.
—Alyssa Johnson, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for jolt
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jolt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near jolt
Cite this Entry
“Jolt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jolt. Accessed 6 May. 2024.
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