jolt
Americanverb (used with object)
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to jar, shake, or cause to move by or as if by a sudden rough thrust; shake up roughly.
The bus jolted its passengers as it went down the rocky road.
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to knock sharply so as to dislodge.
He jolted the nail free with a stone.
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to stun with a blow, especially in boxing.
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to shock emotionally or psychologically.
His sudden death jolted us all.
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to bring to a desired state sharply or abruptly.
to jolt a person into awareness.
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to make active or alert, as by using an abrupt, sharp, or rough manner.
to jolt someone's memory.
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to interfere with or intrude upon, especially in a rough or crude manner; interrupt disturbingly.
verb (used without object)
noun
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a jolting shock, movement, or blow.
The automobile gave a sudden jolt.
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an emotional or psychological shock.
The news of his arrest gave me quite a jolt.
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something that causes such a shock.
The news was a jolt to me.
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a sudden, unexpected rejection or defeat.
Their policy got a rude jolt from the widespread opposition.
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Slang. a prison sentence.
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Slang. an injection of a narcotic.
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a bracing dose of something.
a jolt of whiskey; a jolt of fresh air.
verb
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to bump against with a jarring blow; jostle
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to move in a jolting manner
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to surprise or shock
noun
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a sudden jar or blow
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an emotional shock
Other Word Forms
- jolter noun
- joltingly adverb
- joltless adjective
- jolty adjective
- unjolted adjective
Etymology
Origin of jolt
1590–1600; blend of jot to jolt and joll to bump, both now dial.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
MIDDLETOWN, Pa.—Forty-six years have passed since America’s worst nuclear accident, at Three Mile Island, jolted the country and created skepticism of nuclear energy.
Stein saw promise in the Universal Studios tour when others did not, and incorporated jolts and flourishes that became known as ‘JayBangs.’
From Los Angeles Times
Naming a new CEO seemed to provide the jolt the company needed, as it came about two weeks after the stock had closed at a 30-year low.
From MarketWatch
For months, Jessica Newman has jolted awake gasping in the darkness at 5 a.m., just as she did on Jan. 8.
From Los Angeles Times
AFP reporters there saw people fleeing offices and homes after the sudden jolt.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
