jounce 1 of 2

noun

Definition of jouncenext
as in collision
a forceful coming together of two things we felt a definite jounce every time the car hit a pothole

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jounce

2 of 2

verb

ˈjau̇n(t)s How to pronounce jounce (audio)
1
as in to shake
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements a rickety cart jouncing as it was being pulled over the cobblestoned streets

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to bob
to make short up-and-down movements her head jounced as the horse began to gallop

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of jounce
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
Verb
Our lunch, a thermos of hot coffee, binoculars, a spotting scope, and two cameras jounced on the seat between us. — Robert Merchant, Outdoor Life, 1 Oct. 2025 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jounce
  1. collision
  2. shake
  3. bob
  4. jolt
  5. jerk
  6. pump
  7. thump
  8. shudder
Noun
  • Waymo’s support team is automatically notified if the vehicle crashes, and a roadside assistance representative will come to the collision site to assess the situation in person.
    — Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026
  • Placing the heavy shielding and reactor components in the middle minimizes the physical stress caused by bending moments at sea and insulates the nuclear systems from external side-impact collisions.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 18 July 2026
Definition of collision
Verb
  • The question is whether Thompson will shake free from the Mavericks, either through a buyout or trade.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 13 July 2026
  • The wine and cocktail menu sports a few local makers too, including Gruet Winery’s sparkling wine and Hollow Spirits vodka, which is shaken into the restaurant’s take on a Vesper martini.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 July 2026
Definition of shake
Verb
  • Guidry, at the prow, raised the lantern, revealed in the circle oflight a bobbing tangle of sargassum weed, a swimming snake, a child’s cloth doll.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
  • Their long, droopy tails would likely pull them downward and send their snouts bobbing up.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 15 July 2026
Definition of bob
Noun
  • Additional jolts of sophistication come courtesy of a custom Area Environments wall covering, a gold mirror from Made Goods, Jiun Ho sconces, and German photographer Ellen von Unwerth’s black and white snapshot of a carefree Naomi Campbell.
    — Alia Akkam, Architectural Digest, 13 July 2026
  • Part of what’s at work is a reasonable desire to give a party with more than its share of grizzled congressional veterans a jolt of youthful energy.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
Definition of jolt
Verb
  • Watching their relationship devolve (never more so than when their sperm donor, a rakish, motorcycle-driving restaurant owner played by Mark Ruffalo, enters the scene) is most definitely a tear-jerking experience, as is the film’s final scene.
    — Liam Hess, Vogue, 28 June 2026
  • Some were petty — like Reese committing a foul against Clark, then jerking her head back, impersonating Clark as a flopper.
    — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 27 June 2026
Definition of jerk
Verb
  • Brake gently as needed - Brake normally if the vehicle has anti-lock brakes and pump brakes gently if in an older vehicle.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
  • The aorta is the largest blood vessel in body and the first place blood travels through as it’s pumped from the heart to other parts of the body.
    — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 13 July 2026
Definition of pump
Noun
  • Duggan Borges gestures around the studio, that thump still coming through the ceiling.
    — Laura Snapes, Pitchfork, 9 July 2026
  • Quesst—a needle-nosed experimental aircraft with an airframe designed to reduce the typical sonic boom to a sonic thump.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 2 July 2026
Definition of thump
Verb
  • These seemingly innocuous incidents attain new significance as they’re revisited alongside a slow crescendo that suddenly turns to shuddering piano chords on the track’s bridge.
    — Nick Ayres DeMasi, Pitchfork, 1 July 2026
  • Choose Baits with Vibration Lipless crankbaits earn their keep each spring, as their shuddering motion creates the bait-mimicking tremors to which bass respond.
    — David A. Brown, Outdoor Life, 1 July 2026
Definition of shudder

Browse Nearby Words

jottings
jounce
jounced
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Cite this Entry

“Jounce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jounce. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on jounce

Nglish: Translation of jounce for Spanish Speakers

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