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
Synonyms
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 WebAaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
Audiences walk to their seats through smoldering rubble, a visceral jolt of the toll of modern warfare.
—Peter Marks, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
The defibrillator, a machine that delivers a powerful jolt of electricity to a person’s heart, is one of the few 20th-century inventions that have helped improve survival rates.
—Helen Ouyang, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
Those numbers got a jolt during COVID when many companies instituted work-from-home policies to keep the virus from spreading.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Mar. 2024
Advertising in big events like the Super Bowl, if done right, can give a huge jolt to a company’s exposure and brand recognition.
—Cmo, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
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
John Yoon, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Marquis Neal, 48, who lives in the Turner Station community near the bridge, said the crash jolted him awake.
—Danny Nguyen, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
Notably, the most prominent object on that nightstand isn’t a book but an iPhone, whose alarm goes off at 5:50 A.M., jolting Angela out of a few hours’ slumber and into the pitiless glare of a new day.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2024
And Bob, having been jolted out of his numbness, is finally able to open up about the painful and difficult feelings he’s kept locked away for so long, first to Lily and then eventually to Jeanie.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024
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
Noun
The return of Cox adds another jolt to the project, which has been revamped following the departure of star Jenna Ortega, the firing of actor Melissa Barrera and the exit of director Christopher Landon last year.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
Audiences walk to their seats through smoldering rubble, a visceral jolt of the toll of modern warfare.
—Peter Marks, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
The defibrillator, a machine that delivers a powerful jolt of electricity to a person’s heart, is one of the few 20th-century inventions that have helped improve survival rates.
—Helen Ouyang, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
Those numbers got a jolt during COVID when many companies instituted work-from-home policies to keep the virus from spreading.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Mar. 2024
Advertising in big events like the Super Bowl, if done right, can give a huge jolt to a company’s exposure and brand recognition.
—Cmo, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
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
Verb
The quake also jolted the island’s west coast, toppling one building in Changhua County entirely.
—John Yoon, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Marquis Neal, 48, who lives in the Turner Station community near the bridge, said the crash jolted him awake.
—Danny Nguyen, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
Notably, the most prominent object on that nightstand isn’t a book but an iPhone, whose alarm goes off at 5:50 A.M., jolting Angela out of a few hours’ slumber and into the pitiless glare of a new day.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2024
And Bob, having been jolted out of his numbness, is finally able to open up about the painful and difficult feelings he’s kept locked away for so long, first to Lily and then eventually to Jeanie.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024
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
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.
Dictionary Entries Near jolt
Cite this Entry
“Jolt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jolt. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
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