jilt

verb \ ˈjilt \

|Updated on: 5 Aug 2018

Examples: jilt in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of jilt

jilted; jilting; jilts

transitive verb

: to cast off or reject (someone, such as a lover) capriciously or unfeelingly

a jilted lover

—

jilter

noun

See jilt defined for English-language learners

See jilt defined for kids

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Examples of jilt in a Sentence

She was crushed when he jilted her.
still trying to get over being jilted by his longtime girlfriend

Recent Examples of jilt from the Web

Johnson, already jilted by George, didn’t have either in hand.

— lee jenkins, SI.com, "Inside Decision 3.0: LeBron James Follows in the Footsteps of Legends," 1 July 2018
But here’s the thing to remember: this won’t be the same Recording Academy that has jilted JAY and Bey in recent years.

— jason lipshutz, Billboard, "Why Beyonce & JAY-Z's 'Everything Is Love' Album Is Already a No-Brainer Grammys Contender," 20 June 2018
Then came the 2004 season, which was marked by two controversies that left Cal and Auburn feeling jilted and put the polls that determined their fate in a burdensome position.

— ross dellenger, SI.com, "Inside the AP's Fateful 2004 Decision to Withdraw Its Poll From the BCS Formula," 12 July 2018
The knee-jerk reaction to infidelity, most of the time, is to tell the person who got jilted to GTFO.

— refinery29.com, "What To Think About Before Choosing To Stay With A Cheating Partner," 9 May 2018
Unrestricted free agency does not award consolation prizes to those who get jilted.

— bill livingston, cleveland.com, "Is LeBron James nearing another end game with Cleveland Cavaliers? -- Bill Livingston (photos)," 21 Apr. 2018
Thomas isn't the only member of the Markle family who feels jilted by not receiving an invitation to the royal wedding.

— kayleigh roberts, Marie Claire, "Meghan Markle's Brother Says She's a 'Phony' for Not Inviting Him to the Royal Wedding," 19 Apr. 2018
But then the Josh McDaniels jilting story happened, and the Colts had to star their coach search again.

— peter king, SI.com, "Wristband 145: Behind The Play That Confused The Patriots and Gave The Eagles The Super Bowl LII Win," 11 Feb. 2018
Brown was poor before Donewald jilted it (17-61 in the three season prior) and after (28-49 over the next three seasons).

— dakota crawford, Indianapolis Star, "6 times coaches bizarrely ditched the teams hiring them, as Josh McDaniels did to the Colts," 6 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'jilt.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Jilt traces back to the English dialect noun jillet ("a flirtatious girl"), itself from Jill or Gill (used both as a proper name and as a noun meaning "girl") plus the diminutive suffix -et. Jilt itself came into use in the second half of the 17th century as a noun meaning "an unchaste woman" (a sense that is now obsolete) or "a woman who capriciously casts a lover aside," and also as a verb used for the actions of such a woman. These days, the person doing the jilting can be either male or female, and though jilt usually implies the sudden ending of a romantic relationship, it can also be used beyond the context of a romantic relationship with the broader meaning "to sever close relations with."

Origin and Etymology of jilt

see ²jilt

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1673

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

jilt Synonyms

Synonyms

blow off, break off (with), ditch, dump, kiss off, leave;

Near Antonyms

hook up (with), take;

befriend, latch (on or onto);

abandon, desert, forsake, maroon, quit;

Phrases

kiss good-bye;

jilt

noun

Definition of jilt

: a person who casts off or rejects someone previously accepted as a lover : one who jilts (see ¹jilt) a lover

Recent Examples of jilt from the Web

YESTERDAY’S WORD — JAUNTILY jail jaunt jaunty jilt junta alit anil anti aunt ulna unit unity unlay unlit until nail tail tiny tuna inlay inly lain laity lint linty liny litany To purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com.

— kathleen saxe, The Mercury News, "Word game: February 15, 2017," 15 Feb. 2017