jar

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈjär 

1

: a widemouthed container made typically of earthenware or glass

a pottery jar

a cookie jar

2

: as much as a jar will hold

ate an entire jar of pickles

jarful

ˈjär-ˌfu̇l 

noun

jar

2 of 4

verb

jarred; jarring

intransitive verb

1

a

: to have a harshly disagreeable or disconcerting effect

The noise jarred on her nerves.

a jarring experience

b

: to make a harsh or discordant sound

winced as the iron gate jarred against the sidewalk

c

: to be out of harmony

… a course that jarred with his habitual feelings.

—George Eliot

specifically : bicker

2

: to undergo severe vibration

transitive verb

: to cause to jar: such as

a

: to affect disagreeably : unsettle

The violent opposition jarred his resolve.

b

: to make unstable or loose : shake

jar the ball free

jar

3 of 4

noun (2)

1

a

: a sudden or unexpected shake

jars and jolts

b

: an unsettling shock

gave her nerves a jar

c

: an unpleasant break or conflict in rhythm, flow, or transition

… works persistently, swiftly, without jar.

—Sinclair Lewis

2

a

: a state or manifestation of discord or conflict

b

: a harsh grating sound

jar

4 of 4

noun (3)

archaic

: the position of being ajar

—usually used in the phrase on the jar

Synonyms of jar

Verb

• bicker
• fight
• argue
• quarrel
• spat
• clash
• row
• scrap
• fall out

Noun (2)

• collision
• thump
• jolt
• bump
• shock
• slam
• impact

Examples of jar in a Sentence

Verb

The loss jarred his confidence in the team.

The earthquake jarred the tiles loose.

The tiles jarred loose in the earthquake.

Noun (2)

this padded case should protect your laptop from the jars normally experienced while traveling

the flow of her day was interrupted with the jar of an unexpected crisis

the jar of a stuck car door

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

However, security camera footage from the stand obtained by CBS News Colorado shows a man with dark hair, a mustache, and tattoos on both arms taking jars of honey from the stand early in the morning. —Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026

Store small appliances, knife blocks, and ingredient jars out of sight to reduce countertop clutter. —Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 13 Apr. 2026

Verb

At the end of the night, during the bows, Butler slaps the guys playing her two antagonists gently on their butts, a gesture that would have jarred in most stagings but fully in keeping with the inclusive, humanistic vibe of this production. —Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026

Diving for 50-50 balls, making hustle plays, or even defending with physicality and force can jar things loose once again. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle French jarre, from Old Occitan jarra, from Arabic jarra earthen water vessel

Verb

probably of imitative origin

Noun (2)

derivative of jar entry 2

Noun (3)

alteration of earlier char turn, from Middle English — more at chare

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1526, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1b

Noun (2)

1537, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Noun (3)

1674, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing jar

• bell jar
• canopic jar
• cookie jar
• in the cookie jar
• Leyden jar
• mason jar
• slop jar

Rhymes for jar

• ar
• are
• bar
• barr
• car
• carr
• char
• charr
• czar
• far
• farre
• haar

Kids Definition

jar

1 of 3 verb

ˈjär 

jarred; jarring

1

a

: to make a harsh or disagreeable sound

b

: to have a harsh or disagreeable effect

noise that jars the nerves

2

: to cause to vibrate : shake

3

: clash entry 1 sense 2b, conflict

jarring opinions

jar

2 of 3 noun

1

: a harsh sound

2

: jolt entry 2

3

: quarrel entry 1 sense 2, dispute

4

: a painful effect : shock

jar

3 of 3 noun

1

: a usually glass or pottery container having a wide mouth

2

: the quantity held by a jar

Etymology

Verb

probably an imitation of the sound made

Noun

from early French jarre "a container with a wide mouth," derived from Arabic jarrah "a pottery water container"