jolt

noun \ ˈjōlt \

Updated on: 22 May 2018

Definition of jolt

1 : an abrupt, sharp, jerky blow or movement

awoke with a jolt

2 a (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

—

jolty

play \ˈjōl-tē\ adjective

See jolt defined for English-language learners

Examples of jolt in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of jolt from the Web

These are heady times for Idaho’s biggest metro area, with an influx of newcomers, a spike in home prices and a jolt of high-wage jobs in professions like payroll services and accounting that have made Idaho the fastest-growing state in the nation.

— kirk johnson, the new york times, idahostatesman, "As Idaho grows, its politics evolve. But don't expect a Democratic surge. | Idaho Statesman," 14 May 2018
His duo with compatriot Bruno Raberg (bass) rejuvenates the old melodies with a jolt of jazz.

— BostonGlobe.com, "The Ticket: What’s happening in the local arts world," 4 May 2018
The Royals’ scuffling offense should receive a jolt soon.

— maria torres, kansascity, "The Royals' offense has sorely missed Salvador Perez. His return is finally near | The Kansas City Star," 22 Apr. 2018
Not everything was monochrome in the land of lofts, of course: For a jolt of color and madness, there were paintings by Neo-Expressionists, including David Salle, Eric Fischl and Julian Schnabel.

— New York Times, "Uptown or Downtown? In the Early ’80s, It Made All the Difference," 17 Apr. 2018
If the Buckeyes were to combine a big-armed starter with an occasional jolt from Martell, that could force opposing defensive coordinators to prepare for a lot when facing Ohio State.

— andy staples, SI.com, "Handicapping the Five Most Fascinating Quarterback Battles as Spring Practice Wraps," 16 Apr. 2018
Two years ago, German security firm SerNet GmbH figured a punchy name for their bug discovery would give the company a publicity jolt.

— robert mcmillan, WSJ, "You Think Discovering a Computer Virus Is Hard? Try Naming One," 11 Apr. 2018
Looking to better balance his rotations, and to give his first unit a jolt of offensive juice, Popovich moved Green to the bench in place of Mills.

— jeff mcdonald, San Antonio Express-News, "Spurs, Green get well at the expense of The King," 25 Feb. 2018
Wrap the month with a jolt of energy from Boston’s favorite punks Dropkick Murphys.

— justin jacobs, Indianapolis Star, "Noel Gallagher, Alan Jackson top February concert roster," 1 Feb. 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of jolt

see ²jolt

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1599

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

jolt Synonyms

Synonyms

bump, collision, concussion, crash, impact, impingement, jar, jounce, kick, shock, slam, smash, strike, wallop;

bashing, battering, bludgeoning, clobbering, hammering, lambasting, licking, pounding, pummeling (also pummelling), thrashing;

contact, encounter, meeting, touch;

jolt

verb

Definition of jolt

transitive verb

1 a : 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

—

jolter

noun

See jolt defined for English-language learners

See jolt defined for kids

Examples of jolt in a Sentence

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 of jolt from the Web

Many devices were malfunctioned and the plane was jolting strongly.

— bard wilkinson, CNN, "Co-pilot sucked halfway out of cockpit on Chinese flight," 15 May 2018
The Wachowskis layered all the visual elements together to give the picture the crispness of two-dimensional animation, and the performances and writing have a similar, sometimes jolting, sort of simplicity to them.

— david sims, The Atlantic, "The New Hollywood Speed Racer Didn't See Coming," 14 May 2018
According to Fadel, the monster is merely a narrative device designed to jolt his characters out of their isolated, unexamined lives.

— stephen dalton, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Murder Me, Monster' ('Muere, monstro, muere'): Film Review | Cannes 2018," 13 May 2018
Even by today's hyper-partisan, anything-goes standard in politics, the crass comment attributed to a White House aide about Sen. John McCain's health condition seemed to jolt the nation's sensibilities.

— yvonne wingett sanchez, azcentral, "Here's who's defending John McCain after White House aide's 'dying' remark — and who isn't," 11 May 2018
The unexpected setback is likely to jolt congressional Republicans yet again and underscore that their fragile House majority is the party's most vulnerable front in 2018.

— author: jonathan martin, alexander burns, Anchorage Daily News, "Party mavericks rebuffed at the polls in primary elections," 9 May 2018
The unexpected setback is likely to jolt congressional Republicans yet again and underscore that their fragile House majority is the party’s most vulnerable front in 2018.

— New York Times, "Cordray Defeats Kucinich in Ohio; Blankenship Loses in West Virginia," 8 May 2018
More: Hawaii's most active volcano: Here's the latest on Kilauea's eruption Hundreds of small earthquakes rumbled through the area after Friday's magnitude-6.9 temblor hit — the largest earthquake to jolt Hawaii in more than 40 years.

— trevor hughes, USA TODAY, "Lava from Kilauea volcano destroys more homes on the Big Island," 7 May 2018
Nestle, the owner of Nescafe and Nespresso, is paying more than $7 billion for rights to sell Starbucks coffee and tea in grocery stores worldwide, as the Swiss giant looks to jolt its coffee business.

— the washington post, latimes.com, "Nestle will pay $7 billion to sell Starbucks coffee because U.S. consumers think Nescafe is 'boring'," 7 May 2018