jog

1 of 4

verb (1)

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

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 hipThomas 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
Set aside an hour for your first time, and take plenty of pictures to jog your memory of what’s in stock. Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 19 Aug. 2025 Visitors hang out all day and into the early evening, working on laptops, jogging across gravel trails, facing off at ping pong, corn hole and foosball. Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 11 Aug. 2025
Noun
Hurtado was out for a jog when the dogs bit her arms and legs, ripping off her flesh and leaving large cuts, deputies said. Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 15 Aug. 2025 But as White neared him, Acuña began his slow jog to the dugout, then walked with the team’s head trainer to the clubhouse. David O'Brien, New York Times, 30 July 2025 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 26 Aug. 2025.

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"

More from Merriam-Webster on jog

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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