Definition of jolt
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 joltb : a serious setback or reverse a severe financial jolt
3 : a small but potent or bracing portion of something a jolt of horseradish
From the M-W Editors
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
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Winsome Echo Park, $$ Angelenos love eating small, grain-heavy seasonal dishes with jolts of texture and acid, and Winsome has this as-yet-unnamed genre under control.
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The Cubs are trying to give their World Series-hungover clubhouse a jolt.
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The jolt of excitement was enough to speed up the pace of the bout and force Nichols to get more aggressive.
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Last year, the Warriors grabbed Patrick McCaw, who made a name for himself by providing a jolt of offense during Game 5 of the Finals.
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About 150,000 jammed the grounds and sent a jolt that could be felt throughout the region.
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And the surprise twist at the conclusion, while not exactly convincing, provides a suitably nasty jolt.
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The video then shows Brown on his back with his arms raised before another jolt from the stun gun makes his body stiffen.
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Studio trickery on Gomez's voice gives the song an extra jolt of electricity.
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
jolt
Definition of jolt
transitive verb
1a : to disturb the composure of : shock crudely jolted out of that mood — Virginia Woolf an announcement that jolted the communityb : 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
nounExamples 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
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The incident was hardly the first time Trump’s Twitter messages have jolted the capital, but the context was different this time.
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A 25-year-old man was critically injured Wednesday while picking mangoes from a tree at his mom’s Hialeah home and being jolted by a power line, according to police.
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A night that's usually about the rookies quickly was jolted by another of the big moves involving veterans that have come in a flurry since the NBA Finals.
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That is striking at the heart of the Bank of Japan’s efforts to jolt the economy to life.
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Despite recent scandals that have jolted the top ranks of her administration, Bowser has seen her popularity climb from 2015, her first year in office, when 58 percent of D.C. residents approved of her job performance.
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The Padres catcher flew backward, jolted by 240 pounds of force.
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But for the first time in a while, I was jolted awake.
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The growth of e-commerce has already jolted some players out of complacency.
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
probably blend of obsolete joll to strike and jot to bump
JOLT Defined for English Language Learners
jolt
playDefinition of jolt for English Language Learners
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: to cause (something or someone) to move in a quick and sudden way
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: to move with a quick and sudden motion
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: to surprise or shock (someone)
jolt
Definition of jolt for English Language Learners
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: a sudden, rough movement
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: a sudden shock or surprise
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: a small but powerful amount of something
JOLT Defined for Kids
Definition of jolt for Students
jolted
;jolting
1 : to move or cause to move with a sudden jerky motion The train jolted to a stop.
2 : to cause to be upset The bad news jolted us.
Definition of jolt for Students
1 : an abrupt jerky and usually powerful blow or movement
2 : a sudden shock or surprise Lincoln Elementary needed a good jolt once in a while … — Andrew Clements, Frindle
Learn More about jolt
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See words that rhyme with jolt Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for jolt Spanish Central: Translation of jolt Nglish: Translation of jolt for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of jolt for Arabic speakers
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