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
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
Murray was acquired by New Orleans over the offseason to give this team another jolt in the backcourt. Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024 Willis could be just the jolt Green Bay’s inept red zone off needs. Rob Reischel, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024
Verb
The rebel forces who routed Assad’s forces—with the swift capture of the major Syrian cities of Aleppo, Hamas, and Homs—jolted both Putin and Iran. Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 8 Dec. 2024 The lesson is jolting: from the start, the cinema was expanded. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for jolt 

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 12 Dec. 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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