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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."
Examples of jilt in a Sentence
Chuck Murr, Forbes.com, 8 May 2026
For them, being jilted by the Beach is just another in a growing list of painful changes: The crime, the neighborhood deterioration, the economic slump, the loss of health, the depletion of savings.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
The Natural Way If you’ve been jilted by the dryer one too many times, air-drying may be for you.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 17 Jan. 2026
Additionally, Benefield is the first defensive player the Tigers and Kiffin — who jilted Ole Miss for a rival to take his sixth coaching job in 15 years — have signed out of the portal.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for jilt
Cite this Entry
“Jilt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jilt. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
jilt
1 of 2 verbjilt
2 of 2 noun
