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
David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 26 Nov. 2025
Residents across Santa Clara and San Benito counties reported feeling sharp jolts, though there were no immediate reports of injuries or major damage.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
Interestingly, while today's games may jolt November higher, NFL contract volumes over the past two months haven't steadily risen.
—Alex Sherman,contessa Brewer, CNBC, 27 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jolt
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
There would be another jolt if someone moved from Las Vegas, with a similar population, to Sacramento.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 26 Nov. 2025
Residents across Santa Clara and San Benito counties reported feeling sharp jolts, though there were no immediate reports of injuries or major damage.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
Verb
Her rest proves short-lived of course, with Honey jolting back into an upright position before looking around to see if anyone has noticed her sleeping on the job.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
Interestingly, while today's games may jolt November higher, NFL contract volumes over the past two months haven't steadily risen.
—Alex Sherman,contessa Brewer, CNBC, 27 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jolt
Cite this Entry
“Jolt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jolt. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.
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