jounce

1 of 2

verb

jounced; jouncing

intransitive verb

: to move in an up-and-down manner : bounce

transitive verb

: to cause to jounce

jounce

2 of 2

noun

: jolt

Examples of jounce in a Sentence

Verb a rickety cart jouncing as it was being pulled over the cobblestoned streets her head jounced as the horse began to gallop Noun we felt a definite jounce every time the car hit a pothole
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.
Verb
Tailbone pain sometimes can arise after sitting on a hard surface for a long time, or sitting on an ill-fitting or jouncing seat. Mayo Clinic, chicagotribune.com, 19 Aug. 2019 The frame shape and temple design must harmonize with your helmet lest the glasses jounce around or, worse, rub your skull wrong. Aaron Gulley, Outside Online, 13 June 2018 This band has a rare instrumentation — tenor saxophone, tuba, two drummers — and a relentless, jouncing sound anchored in rhythms of the Caribbean. Giovanni Russonello, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2018 Early mornings and midafternoons at Ranthambore see a restricted number of open-air vehicles shuttling tourists into the park to jounce along five dusty trail routes, each stretching a few miles. Christopher Smith, Orange County Register, 11 May 2017
Noun
Additional front and rear jounce dampers help absorb the load after landing sweet jumps, while new braces on the trailer hitch help increase the tow rating to 4500 pounds. Carlos Lago, Car and Driver, 24 Jan. 2022 Joe DeAngelo was thick-muscled and dough-faced, with an odd jounce to his gait. Tribune News Service, oregonlive.com, 22 June 2019

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

circa 1787, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of jounce was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Jounce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jounce. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

jounce

verb
ˈjau̇n(t)s
jounced; jouncing
: to move or cause to move in an up-and-down manner
jounce noun

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