jolt

1 to make a series of small irregular or violent movements the roller coaster car jerked and jolted as it coursed along the old wooden tracks Synonyms agitate, bucket, convulse, jerk, jiggle, joggle, shake, jounce, judder [chiefly British], quake, quiver, shudder, vibrate, wobble (also wabble)Related Words rock, sway, swing; chatter, quaver, shiver, thrill, tremble; twitch; dodder, waver; flicker, fluctuate, flutter, oscillate, undulate, wave; beat, palpitate, pit-a-pat, pitter-patter, pulsate, pulse, throb

2 to move or cause to move with a sharp quick motion she jolted the door open with her elbow Synonyms buck, hitch, hoick, jerk, twitch, yankRelated Words bump, jounce, lurch, pitch, stagger; jig, jiggle, jog, joggle, shake; drag, lug, pull, tug; pluck, tweak; grab, rip, snap (up), snatch, tear, wrench, wrest, wring

3 to cause an unpleasant surprise for the sneak terrorist attack jolted the country out of its indolence and indifference Synonyms appall (also appal), floor, shock, shake upRelated Words astonish, bowl over, dumbfound (also dumfound), flabbergast, freak (out), stun, stupefy; affright, alarm (also alarum), dismay, fright, frighten, horrify, panic, scare, scarify, spook, startle, terrify, terrorize; disgust, nauseate, repel, revolt, sicken, turn off; displease, offend, outrage, scandalize; amaze, astound, awe; chill, daunt, demoralize, dispirit, emasculate, undo, unman, unnerve, unstring; discomfort, discompose, disconcert, disquiet, distress, disturb, perturb, shake, unsettle, upset, weird out; crush, overpower, overwhelmNear Antonyms buffer, cushion; delight, gratify, please, rejoice, tickle; charm, entice, tempt; assure, cheer, comfort, console, solace, soothe; reassure