rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryjoltSudden physical movement
verb / noun

jolt

JOHLT/dʒəʊlt/

An abrupt forceful shake.

The raised pavement edge jolts the bicycle rider upward from her saddle.

A bicycle hitting a raised pavement edge abruptly jolts its rider upward: the front tire compresses against the edge, her body lifts off the saddle, and her startled expression registers the sudden shake.
Etymology

The origin is uncertain: the verb may come from a word for knocking or battering, or from an obsolete verb meaning “jostle.” The physical shock later supplied the figurative sense of startling someone.

In context

TED5:04
Second, disruption, repression and even violence can help jolt sympathizers to take action.
How to Be an “Apocalyptic Optimist” | Dana R. Fisher | TED

More examples

  • The elevator stops with a jolt.
  • The collision jolted me forward in my seat.
  • We feel every jolt as the cart rolls over the rocks.

Forms

jolt · jolts · jolted · jolting

Similar words

jerk
Emphasizes a quick, sharp movement in one direction.
shake
Can involve repeated back-and-forth movement rather than one abrupt movement.