jolt

noun

\ ˈjōlt

Definition of jolt

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : an abrupt, sharp, jerky blow or movement awoke with a jolt

2a(1) : a sudden feeling of shock, surprise, or disappointment the news gave them a jolt

(2) : an event or development causing such a feeling the defeat was quite a jolt

b : a serious setback or reverse a severe financial jolt

3 : a small but potent or bracing portion of something a jolt of horseradish

jolt

verb

jolted; jolting; jolts

Definition of jolt (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to disturb the composure of : shock crudely jolted out of that mood— Virginia Woolf an announcement that jolted the community

b : to interfere with roughly, abruptly, and disconcertingly determination to pursue his own course was jolted badly— F. L. Paxson

2 : to cause to move with a sudden jerky motion passengers being jolted along a bumpy road

3 : to give a knock or blow to specifically : to jar with a quick or hard blow

intransitive verb

: to move with a sudden jerky motion

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Examples of jolt in a Sentence

Noun

I sprang out of bed with a jolt. The car stopped with a jolt. I got quite a jolt when I heard the door slam. The defeat was quite a jolt to the team. The stock market suffered a major jolt yesterday. She needed a jolt of caffeine to start her day. The unexpected praise he received gave him a jolt of confidence.

Verb

The explosion jolted the ship. He was jolted forward when the bus stopped suddenly. The loud bang jolted me awake. The attack jolted the country into action. She jolted the medical world with her announcement.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Want to shoot pink jolts of electricity from your eyeballs? — Sarah Leboeuf, Ars Technica, "LEGO DC Super-Villains," 22 Oct. 2018 Even before Hoskins’ fractured jaw, which might require surgery, the Phillies were in need of a jolt of offense. — Scott Lauber, Philly.com, "With Rhys Hoskins out, not too soon for Phillies to think about trading for a hitter | Extra Innings," 31 May 2018 The scientists noted which brains regions were associated with poor memory encoding and then delivered tiny jolts of electricity to selectively disrupt activity in those regions, allowing other regions with correct memory response to dominate. — NBC News, "Memory-boosting brain implants are in the works. Would you get one?," 23 Apr. 2018 The jolt flung passengers standing in the galley crashing into the ceiling, knocking them unconscious. — Jeff Wise, Popular Mechanics, "4 Times Before the Boeing 737 Max 8 That Plane Automation Software Went Haywire," 18 Mar. 2019 Chicago pianist Stu Katz first heard Pickens in the late 1950s, after Pickens moved to Chicago from his native Milwaukee, and on stage Katz recalled the jolt of encountering such volcanic music. — Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, "Stars and students pay tribute to piano giant Willie Pickens," 19 Apr. 2018 The shaking began with a sharp jolt and lasted for a minute, causing many people to run outside. — Alissa Walker, Curbed, "Alaska’s earthquake didn’t kill anyone—here’s why," 3 Dec. 2018 But new data suggest the latest technology boom is starting to give the economy a jolt. — Josh Mitchell, WSJ, "Measure of U.S. Innovation Jumped in 2018," 20 Mar. 2019 For this show, a mirrored floor and graffitied ceiling thrilled and disoriented, and the pulsing impulses of each piece as well as the distance traveled from the first to the last gave me both a visceral and intellectual jolt. — Jordan Roth, Vogue, "Jordan Roth: A Man’s View on the Haute Couture," 28 Jan. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The flashbacks are fast and furious this episode, and her mind is jolting from one trauma (her sister’s death) to another (visions of dead Natalie) to another (cutting), all throughout the course of something as simple as a drive home. — Cady Drell, Marie Claire, "Pointed Observations About Sharp Objects Episode 4," 30 July 2018 In the same way that Farnaz massaged my face into order, Martyn used her tools to jolt my muscles into formation, working the microcurrent wand along my brows while electronic patches gently pulsed along my neck, jawline, and cheeks. — Glamour, "We Tried the Best Methods for Getting Rid of Dark Circles Under Your Eyes," 30 Apr. 2019 The action Thursday against Chams Exchange and its owner, Kassem Chams, comes amid building fears within Lebanon that the U.S. could jolt the fragile Lebanese economy by targeting the financial sector more broadly. — Ian Talley, WSJ, "U.S. Treasury Sanctions Lebanese Currency Exchange," 11 Apr. 2019 The opening of this white-tablecloth, French-Cali place in 1997 started chef Traci des Jardins on her path to local domination and jolted awake Hayes Valley's then-sleepy dining scene. — Alec Scott, latimes.com, "In San Francisco's Hayes Valley, there's something for almost everyone," 27 May 2018 Although corporate profits have continued to grow, anxiety about slower revenue growth has jolted some investors. — David Hodari, WSJ, "U.S. Stocks Jump as Tough Month Sets to Wrap," 31 Oct. 2018 And with everyone involved jolted out of the routine, there’s a vulnerability that fosters connections. — Susan Svrluga, Washington Post, "Tolstoy behind bars: Why U-Va. students are reading Russian literature in a prison," 5 July 2018 The news jolted investors, who sent the shares down as much as 4.5 percent to $197.50 in late trading. — Craig Giammona, Bloomberg.com, "Domino's CEO Will Hand Reins to International Chief in July," 9 Jan. 2018 But nothing jolts me out of post-anal bliss like a little bit of butt bleeding. — Sophie Saint Thomas, SELF, "Is Bleeding Normal After Anal Sex?," 23 Feb. 2019

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