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.
“At the very least, markets have received a welcome jolt that is forcing a repricing in the distribution of outcomes” from the conflict, it added.
“Once a path to ending the conflict becomes clear and oil and interest rates come back down, stocks should get a nice jolt to the upside as earnings recapture investor attention,” he added.
From Barron's
A screechy, mechanical voice jolts me out of my head.
From Literature
Just after midnight, when Clare had finally fallen asleep, he was jolted awake by a clatter of dishes in his kitchen.
From Literature
If the U.S. were to seize loading terminals, pipelines and storage tanks at Kharg, that would represent a significant escalation of the conflict — and send more jolts through the global energy markets.
From MarketWatch
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.
