jolt

1 of 2

noun

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 adjective

jolt

2 of 2

verb

jolted; jolting; jolts

transitive verb

1
a
: to disturb the composure of : shock
crudely jolted out of that moodVirginia Woolf
an announcement that jolted the community
b
: to interfere with roughly, abruptly, and disconcertingly
determination to pursue his own course was jolted badlyF. 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

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
Poison’s story of social ingratitude and cross-cultural helplessness ends the anthology with a jolt. Armond White, National Review, 15 Mar. 2024 The decision delivered a genuine jolt to a Senate landscape that was already heavily tilted toward Republicans in 2024. Shane Goldmacher, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024 Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said the city has been lucky to have experienced the economy jolt. Mark Vancleave, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2024 No matter the color or occasion, tang yuan provide a consistent jolt of warmth and fortune. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Feb. 2024 And there were tangible reminders of that legacy, as well as of the global tumult that gave Nolan’s historical drama about the creation of the nuclear bomb its jolt of immediacy. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024 In the fall, breakout performances on the national debate stage gave her candidacy a jolt. Jonathan Weisman Ruth Fremson, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 The return of two of The Walking Dead universe’s signature characters gave the latest spinoff in the franchise a ratings jolt. Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Mar. 2024 Not a life-threatening jolt to your system, but a shock to some degree. Eli Amdur, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
Verb
But the prospects for cuts have slowly been dimming, jolted by stubborn inflation in the first two months of the year. Joe Rennison, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024 He was jolted after Intuit acquired Boston Light Software and founder Paul English left with many of Intuit’s leadership team to start travel search company Kayak. John Kell, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2024 The courtroom photos and evidence were so graphic and jolting at times that jurors, observers and even the defense attorney nearly gagged. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2024 Traditionally, the Fed reduces rates to jolt an economy that’s slowing or in recession. Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2024 Green did his best to jolt the Warriors again, drawing a charge on Andre Drummond early in the fourth as part of an 8-1 Warriors response. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 Nothing jolts you out of the mid-week blues like a fresh new Zendaya beauty moment. Kara Nesvig, Allure, 7 Mar. 2024 But his goal is to jolt members of Congress and others into action on gun laws. Faith Karimi, CNN, 19 Feb. 2024 Herrera said the influence of some of these statements can be traced back to the Canadian punk band Propagandhi, who helped jolt his political awakening. Charlie Vargas, Orange County Register, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jolt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

probably blend of obsolete joll to strike and jot to bump

First Known Use

Noun

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1596, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of jolt was in 1596

Dictionary Entries Near jolt

Cite this Entry

“Jolt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jolt. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

jolt

1 of 2 verb
1
: to give a quick hard blow to : jar
2
: to move jerkily
jolter noun

jolt

2 of 2 noun
1
: a sudden jarring blow or movement
2
: a sudden shock or surprise

More from Merriam-Webster on jolt

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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