jilt

1 of 2

verb

jilted; jilting; jilts

transitive verb

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

jilt

2 of 2

noun

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

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."

Examples of jilt in a Sentence

Verb She was crushed when he jilted her. still trying to get over being jilted by his longtime girlfriend
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
The fallout has disappointed Iowa party leaders and activists, with some feeling jilted by the national party. Hannah Fingerhut, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2024 Season 3 ended on something of a cliffhanger, with Isaac (Brandon Scott Jones) jilting his fiancé Nigel (John Hartman) at the altar, only to be dragged into the dirt by the mysterious, and vengeful, ghost Patience, played by guest star Mary Holland. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 13 Sep. 2024
Noun
What felt like a jilt to the losers showed just how much of a hold Amazon exerted on a swath of American cities. Shayndi Raice, WSJ, 14 Nov. 2018 See all Example Sentences for jilt 

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

alteration of jillet flirtatious girl

First Known Use

Verb

1673, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1674, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of jilt was in 1673

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near jilt

Cite this Entry

“Jilt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jilt. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

jilt

1 of 2 verb
: to cast a lover aside unfeelingly

jilt

2 of 2 noun
: a person who jilts a lover

More from Merriam-Webster on jilt

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!