Library / English Dictionary

JOLT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

An abrupt spasmodic movement

Synonyms:

jerk; jerking; jolt; saccade

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("jolt" is a kind of...):

motility; motion; move; movement (a change of position that does not entail a change of location)

Derivation:

jolt (move or cause to move with a sudden jerky motion)

jolty (causing or characterized by jolts and irregular movements)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A sudden jarring impact

Example:

all the jars and jolts were smoothed out by the shock absorbers

Synonyms:

jar; jolt; jounce; shock

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("jolt" is a kind of...):

blow; bump (an impact (as from a collision))

Derivation:

jolt (move or cause to move with a sudden jerky motion)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Disturb (someone's) composure

Example:

The audience was jolted by the play

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Hypernyms (to "jolt" is one way to...):

disturb; trouble; upset (move deeply)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sentence example:

The performance is likely to jolt Sue

Sense 2

Meaning:

Move or cause to move with a sudden jerky motion

Synonyms:

jar; jolt

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "jolt" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

jolt (an abrupt spasmodic movement)

jolt (a sudden jarring impact)

Credits

 Context examples: 

They were stiff with their long and jolting drive from Whitcross, and chilled with the frosty night air; but their pleasant countenances expanded to the cheerful firelight.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Cool stars, on the other hand, do not produce enough light for these building blocks to be formed, except if they have frequent powerful solar flares to jolt the chemistry forward step by step.

(Scientists identify exoplanets where life could develop as it did on Earth, University of Cambridge)

But as we drew nearer to the end of our journey, he had more to do and less time for gallantry; and when we got on Yarmouth pavement, we were all too much shaken and jolted, I apprehend, to have any leisure for anything else.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

But, however, I soon found it would not do; he was bent upon going, and as I hate to be worrying and officious, I said no more; but my heart quite ached for him at every jolt, and when we got into the rough lanes about Stoke, where, what with frost and snow upon beds of stones, it was worse than anything you can imagine, I was quite in an agony about him.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

And I had ordered a hammock to be fixed, by silken ropes from the four corners at the top, to break the jolts, when a servant carried me before him on horseback, as I sometimes desired; and would often sleep in my hammock, while we were upon the road.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

"There's Norton and Hamilton; come on and meet them. Stevens isn't around, I hear. I'm going to get them started on monism if I can. Wait till they get a few jolts in them and they'll warm up."

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

The new moon of late last month on January 24 was not friendly, for the surprise-planet Uranus was in severe angle to the Sun and moon, causing jolts to some Virgos who had natal planets at the degree that were in the path of that new moon.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

The coach jolts, I wake with a start, and the flute has come back again, and the Master at Salem House is sitting with his legs crossed, playing it dolefully, while the old woman of the house looks on delighted.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

The room was quilted on all sides, as well as the floor and the ceiling, to prevent any accident from the carelessness of those who carried me, and to break the force of a jolt, when I went in a coach.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)