Jolt Meaning
/d͡ʒɒlt/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo push or shake abruptly and roughly.
verbTo knock sharply
Sentence Examples
The car gave a jolt.
Suddenly I felt something like a jolt.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The driver hit the brakes hard, causing the vehicle to ____ violently.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The news gave her a sudden ____, and she had to sit down to process what she had just heard today.
Word Origin & History
Perhaps from joll (“to knock, strike”) + -t (frequentative suffix).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Timing your first coffee for mid-morning allows the caffeine to work its magic right as your body’s natural energy starts to wane. Instead of a jolt, you get a smooth, effective lift that carries you through the late morning and into the afternoon."
— 2025 August 22, “The Perfect Caffeine Kick: When is the Best Time to Drink Coffee for Energy?”, in Mochas & Javas:
"Just sit down and look around for a while. Notice your cell, John. Take a good look at it, because it is going to be your home for the next ten years. Sure! You have just gotten a ten-year "jolt," John; so settle down and be a good prisoner."
— 1949, American Journal of Correction, page 24:
"But blow wise to this, buddy, blow wise to this: Never play cards with a man called Doc. Never eat at a place called Mom's. Never sleep with a woman whose troubles are worse than your own. Never let nobody talk you into shaking another man's jolt. And never you cop another man's plea. I've tried 'em all and I know. They don't work."
— 1958, Nelson Algren, A Walk on the Wild Side, page 312:
"After three "jolts" in prison, three separate periods of incarceration, Braly decided to try his hand at writing."
— 1994, Eric Cummins, The Rise and Fall of California's Radical Prison Movement, page 30:
""How long did she do after I left the joint" / "About a year or so. They wanted to parole her. […]" Mae wrinkled her forehead. “It's hard to figure out, sometimes.” Again she frowned heavily. “I don't give a damn myself—I'm a thief, and nothing they can ever do will hurt me. But Mrs. Loring, now, she was different. That jolt did hurt her bad. […]""
— 1998, H. Bruce Franklin, editor, Prison Writing in 20th-Century America:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The driver hit the brakes hard, causing the vehicle to ____ violently.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The news gave her a sudden ____, and she had to sit down to process what she had just heard today.