jump-start

American  

[juhmp-stahrt] / ˈdʒʌmpˌstɑrt /

noun

1. Automotive. Also the starting of an internal-combustion engine that has a discharged or weak battery by means of booster cables.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to give a jump-start to.

   to jump-start an engine.

2. to enliven or revive.

   to jump-start a sluggish economy.

jump-start British  

verb

1. to start the engine of (a car) by connecting it to another engine with jump leads or (of a car) to start in this way

---

noun

1. the act of starting a car in this way

Etymology

Origin of jump-start

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Other times, they can stir controversy and, on rare occasions, even jump-start careers.

From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026

The brand was introduced as part of a wider push to jump-start the company’s lagging soda sales, focusing its marketing efforts on acquiring Gen Z consumers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

The 56-year-old nonprofit executive plans to tap his personal wealth to jump-start his campaign.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2026

Trump has taken other measures to try to jump-start the manufacturing sector.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

“Your colors will return, Mia. I promise. And you’ll feel three-dimensional again. Try doing something creative to jump-start your brain a little. You told me you like to paint; why don’t you try that?”

From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass