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
Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
The status quo needs a massive jolt to put a fourth Heat championship in play.
—Greg Cote
january 30, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
Bloomberg News, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026
The University Park loan default is far from the only East Bay complex that has been jolted with loan issues.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
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
Scoring 100 points wasn’t something Harrington thought about much as an underclassmen, but felt a jolt to reach the milestone as Madigan and Carney did before her.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
The status quo needs a massive jolt to put a fourth Heat championship in play.
—Greg Cote
january 30, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
Vanke’s dollar bonds due 2027 jumped about 3 cents Wednesday to 28 cents on the dollar, putting them on track for their highest price since late November when the builder jolted markets with its extension plans.
—Bloomberg News, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026
The University Park loan default is far from the only East Bay complex that has been jolted with loan issues.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 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 3 Feb. 2026.
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