Jolt

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Jolt, v. i. [Prob. fr. jole, joll, jowl, and orig. meaning, to knock on the head. See Jowl.].

 To shake with short, abrupt risings and fallings, as a carriage moving on rough ground; as, the coach jolts.  [1913 Webster]

Jolt, v. t. 

•  To cause to move with a sudden motion, especially an up and down motion, as in a carriage going over rough ground, or on a high-trotting horse; as, the horse jolts the rider; fast driving jolts the carriage and the passengers.  [1913 Webster]
•  To stun or shock a person physically, as with a blow or electrical shock; as, the earthquake jolted him out of bed.  [PJC]
•  To stun or shock or change the mental state of (a person) suddenly, as if with a blow; as, the sight of the house on fire jolted him into action; his mother's early death jolted his idyllic happiness.  [PJC]

Jolt, n. 

•  A sudden shock or jerk; a jolting motion, as in a carriage moving over rough ground.  [1913 Webster]

  "The first jolt had like to have shaken me out."  [1913 Webster]
•  A physical or psychological shock; see jolt v. t. senses 2 and 3; as, the stock market plunge was a big jolt to his sense of affluence; he touched the casing of the ungrounded motor and got a jolt from a short inside.  [PJC]
•  Something which causes a jolt{2}; as, the bad news was a jolt.  [PJC]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Jolt, v. & n.
--v.
1 tr. disturb or shake from the normal position (esp. in a moving vehicle) with a jerk.
2 tr. give a mental shock to; perturb.
3 intr. (of a vehicle) move along with jerks, as on a rough road.
--n.
1 such a jerk.
2 a surprise or shock.

Derivative

jolty adj. (joltier, joltiest).

Etymology

16th c.: orig. unkn.

THESAURUS

Jolt

agitate, amaze, amble, assault, astonish, astound, barge, bear, bear upon, bearing, blow, bob, bobble, bombshell, boost, bounce, bowl along, bowl down, bowl over, buck, bull, bulldoze, bump, bump against, bundle, bunt, butt, butt against, chatter, clash, clump, collision, concussion, cram, crash, crowd, daze, didder, dig, discombobulate, discompose, disconcert, disquiet, disturb, dither, draft, drag, dram, drench, drink, drive, drop, dumbfound, elbow, electrify, falter, flounce, flurry, fluster, flutter, foot, footslog, force, frighten, fuss, gargle, goad, grimace, guzzle, halt, have an ague, head, hippety-hop, hit, hitch, hobble, hop, hurtle, hustle, jab, jactitate, jam, jar, jerk, jig, jigger, jigget, jiggle, jog, joggle, jostle, jounce, jump, knock, libation, limp, lumber, lunge, lurch, mince, nip, nudge, pace, paddle, peg, percussion, perturb, piaffe, piaffer, pile drive, plod, poke, potation, potion, prance, press, pressure, prod, pull, punch, push, quake, quaver, quiver, rack, ram, ram down, rattle, rictus, rock, roll, round, round of drinks, ruffle, run, run against, sashay, saunter, scuff, scuffle, scuttle, shake, shake up, shamble, shiver, shock, shot, shoulder, shove, shudder, shuffle, sidle, single-foot, sip, skip, slink, slither, slog, slouch, slug, snifter, snort, spot, stagger, stalk, stamp, start, startle, stir, stomp, straddle, straggle, stress, stride, strike, strike dumb, stroll, strut, stump, stun, stupefy, suck, sup, surprise, swagger, swig, swill, swing, take aback, tamp, thrust, tic, tittup, toddle, tot, totter, traipse, tremble, tremor, trip, trouble, trudge, turn, twitch, twitter, unsettle, upset, vibrate, waddle, wamble, wet, wiggle, wobble

ROGET THESAURUS

Jolt

Impulse

N impulse, sudden thought, impromptu, improvisation, inspiration, flash, spurt, improvisatore, creature of impulse, extemporaneous, impulsive, indeliberate, snap, improvised, improvisate, improvisatory, unpremeditated, unmeditated, improvise, unprompted, unguided, natural, unguarded, spontaneous, instinctive, extempore, extemporaneously, offhand, impromptu, a limproviste, improviso, on the spur of the moment, on the spur of the occasion, impulse, impulsion, impetus, momentum, push, pulsion, thrust, shove, jog, jolt, brunt, booming, boost, throw, explosion, propulsion, percussion, concussion, collision, occursion, clash, encounter, cannon, carambole, appulse, shock, crash, bump, impact, elan, charge, beating, blow, dint, stroke, knock, tap, rap, slap, smack, pat, dab, fillip, slam, bang, hit, whack, thwack, cuff, squash, dowse, swap, whap, punch, thump, pelt, kick, punce, calcitration, ruade, arietation, cut, thrust, lunge, yerk, carom, carrom, clip, jab, plug, sidewinder, sidewipe, sideswipe, hammer, sledge hammer, mall, maul, mallet, flail, ram, rammer, battering ram, monkey, pile-driving engine, punch, bat, cant hook, cudgel, ax, dynamics, seismometer, accelerometer, earthquake detector, impelling, impulsive, impellent, booming, dynamic, dynamical, impelled, a hit, a very palpable hit.

VB flash on the mind, say what comes uppermost, improvise, extemporize, give an impetus, impel, push, start, give a start to, set going, drive, urge, boom, thrust, prod, foin, cant, elbow, shoulder, jostle, justle, hustle, hurtle, shove, jog, jolt, encounter, run against, bump against, butt against, knock one's head against, run one's head against, impinge, boost, bunt, carom, clip y, fan, fan out, jab, plug, strike, knock, hit, tap, rap, slap, flap, dab, pat, thump, beat, blow, bang, slam, dash, punch, thwack, whack, hit hard, strike hard, swap, batter, dowse, baste, pelt, patter, buffet, belabor, fetch one a blow, poke at, pink, lunge, yerk, kick, calcitrate, butt, strike at, whip, come into a collision, enter into collision, collide, sideswipe, foul, fall foul of, run foul of, telescope, throw.

Agitation

N agitation, stir, tremor, shake, ripple, jog, jolt, jar, jerk, shock, succussion, trepidation, quiver, quaver, dance, jactitation, quassation, shuffling, twitter, flicker, flutter, turbulence, perturbation, commotion, turmoil, disquiet, tumult, tumultuation, hubbub, rout, bustle, fuss, racket, subsultus, staggers, megrims, epilepsy, fits, carphology, chorea, floccillation, the jerks, St. Vitus's dance, tilmus, spasm, throe, throb, palpitation, convulsion, disturbance, chaos, restlessness, ferment, fermentation, ebullition, effervescence, hurly-burly, cahotage, tempest, storm, ground swell, heavy sea, whirlpool, vortex, whirlwind, shaking, agitated tremulous, desultory, subsultory, saltatoric, quasative, shambling, giddy-paced, saltatory, convulsive, unquiet, restless, all of a twitter, by fits and starts, subsultorily, per saltum, hop skip and jump, in convulsions, in fits, tempete dans un verre d'eau.

VB be agitated, shake, tremble, tremble like an aspen leaf, quiver, quaver, quake, shiver, twitter, twire, writhe, toss, shuffle, tumble, stagger, bob, reel, sway, wag, waggle, wriggle, wriggle like an eel, dance, stumble, shamble, flounder, totter, flounce, flop, curvet, prance, cavort, squirm, throb, pulsate, beat, palpitate, go pitapat, flutter, flitter, flicker, bicker, bustle, ferment, effervesce, foam, boil, boil over, bubble up, simmer, toss about, jump about, jump like a parched pea, shake like an aspen leaf, shake to its center, shake to its foundations, be the sport of the winds and waves, reel to and fro like a drunken man, move from post to pillar and from pillar to post, drive from post to pillar and from pillar to post, keep between hawk and buzzard, agitate, shake, convulse, toss, tumble, bandy, wield, brandish, flap, flourish, whisk, jerk, hitch, jolt, jog, joggle, jostle, buffet, hustle, disturb, stir, shake up, churn, jounce, wallop, whip, vellicate.