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

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 In bringing the event to Paris this year—and to Rome in 2022—the European Tour is using it as a developmental jolt to its primary business. — Brian Costa, WSJ, "How the Ryder Cup Wound Up in France," 21 Sep. 2018 Snap, which has a user base that isn’t growing and a stock that’s near an all-time low, could use a jolt to its business. — Kurt Wagner, Recode, "Snapchat, which needs a business boost, is creating a new revenue stream with help from some publishers," 13 Sep. 2018 The purge has come as a jolt to choristers, many of whom have sung with the TFC for decades, sacrificing hundreds of hours each year to rehearse and perform. — Malcolm Gay, BostonGlobe.com, "Harsh notes amid purge of BSO’s chorus," 27 June 2018 The jolt when the plane collided with a flock of geese and the engines stopped moments after takeoff from New York City’s LaGuardia Airport. — Deepti Hajela, The Seattle Times, "‘Miracle’ flight survivors mark decade of thankfulness," 15 Jan. 2019 This booster then struck the core of the rocket, causing a significant jolt and triggering one of the Soyuz spacecraft's automatic escape systems. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "Two months after mishap, Russian Soyuz rockets back into space with crew," 3 Dec. 2018 Both provide an awakening jolt—and one that’s sure to clear up any mental fog. — Zoe Ruffner, Vogue, "These Natural Energy Boosters Are the Cure for a Midday Slump," 24 Oct. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

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 One Friday evening, a thundering knock on the front door jolted my new boyfriend and I from an intimate moment on the couch. — Crystal Ponti, Harper's BAZAAR, "What It's Actually Like To Be Stalked by Joe," 12 Feb. 2019 Powerful earthquakes jolted the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on Friday, destroying houses and killing at least one person. — Fox News, "Powerful quakes rock Sulawesi in Indonesia, destroying homes," 28 Sep. 2018 His returns jolted across the net with a variety rarely seen from the powerful players of today. — Kurt Streeter, New York Times, "Cheering John McEnroe in Paris Never Gets Old," 9 June 2018 His remarks jolted City Hall and angered officials. — Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, "Peskin apologizes for tearing into SF fire chief," 20 Mar. 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.