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
jolted; jolting; jolts
1
a
: to disturb the composure of : shock
… crudely jolted out of that mood …—
Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolfan 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
F. L. Paxson2
: 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
: 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
Peter S. Canellos, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
The election, which wrapped up Tuesday, saw a surge of interest from voters amid rising household electricity prices and pushback against massive data centers in the battleground state and elsewhere, as national politics gives a jolt to once-low-profile elections for control over utilities.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
Neighbor Angel Munoz was jolted from his sleep by the gunshot.
—Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for jolt
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
The confirmation process itself bears much of the responsibility for the Court’s jolt toward partisanship.
—Peter S. Canellos, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
The election, which wrapped up Tuesday, saw a surge of interest from voters amid rising household electricity prices and pushback against massive data centers in the battleground state and elsewhere, as national politics gives a jolt to once-low-profile elections for control over utilities.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
Although the conditions can be managed, usually with immunosuppressive drugs, scientists have never figured out a way to permanently jolt the immune system back on track.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
Neighbor Angel Munoz was jolted from his sleep by the gunshot.
—Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for jolt
Cite this Entry
“Jolt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jolt. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
