jog

1 of 4

verb (1)

ˈjäg How to pronounce jog (audio)
ˈjȯg
jogged; jogging
Synonyms of jognext

intransitive verb

1
a
: to run or ride at a slow trot
b
: to go at a slow, leisurely, or monotonous pace : trudge
2
: to move up and down or about with a short heavy motion
… his … holster jogging against his hip.Thomas Williams

transitive verb

1
: to rouse to alertness
jogged his memory
2
: to give a slight shake or push to : nudge
3
: to cause (an animal, such as a horse) to go at a jog
4
: to align the edges of (piled sheets of paper) by hitting or shaking against a flat surface

jog

2 of 4

noun (1)

1
a
: a movement, pace, or instance of jogging (as for exercise)
b
: a horse's slow measured trot
2
: a slight shake : nudge

jog

3 of 4

noun (2)

1
: a brief abrupt change in direction
2
a
: a projecting or retreating part (as of a line or surface)
b
: the space in the angle of a jog

jog

4 of 4

verb (2)

jogged; jogging

intransitive verb

: to make a jog
the road jogs to the right

Examples of jog in a Sentence

Verb (1) had to jog to catch up to them her purse was jogging against her hip as she walked
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Attractive people jogging, skating, strolling along the waterfront. Sports Columnist, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 Mar. 2026 Savannah Guthrie is renewing pleas to neighbors, friends and residents of Tucson, Arizona, to jog their memories in the hopes of sparking new leads in the disappearance of her mother, Nancy. CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
Noun
This could look like slowing your run to a slow jog or walk or taking a break at the side of the pool in between laps. Jenny McCoy, SELF, 26 Mar. 2026 Flutie just returned from a three-mile jog. Dan Pompei, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for jog

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

probably alteration of shog

Noun (2)

probably alteration of jag entry 2

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1548, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Noun (1)

1635, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

1715, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Verb (2)

1953, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of jog was in 1548

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Jog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jog. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

jog

1 of 3 verb
ˈjäg How to pronounce jog (audio)
ˈjȯg
jogged; jogging
1
: to give a slight shake or push to : nudge
2
: rouse entry 1 sense 2, stir
jog one's memory
3
: to move up and down or about with a short heavy motion
4
a
: to go or cause to go at a jog
b
: to run slowly especially for exercise
jogger noun

jog

2 of 3 noun
1
: a slight shake : push
2
: a slow steady jolting gait especially of a horse
3
: an instance of jogging

jog

3 of 3 noun
1
: an unevenness (as a bulge or a dent) in a line or surface
2
: a short change in direction
Etymology

Verb

probably an altered form of a dialect word shog "jolt, jostle"

Noun

probably an altered form of jag "a sharp projecting edge"

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