jolt

Everyday

1. A sudden hard shake or bump: «The bus stopped with a jolt». tree →
2. (verb) To move or shake suddenly and roughly. tree →
3. A sudden shock or surprise: «The news gave me a jolt». tree →
4. (verb) To shock someone into action: «The alarm jolted me awake». tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons about forces: when a vehicle stops suddenly, your body keeps moving forward, so seatbelts protect you from the jolt. In stories «jolted awake» tells the reader a character woke suddenly. Phrases: «with a jolt», «jolt awake», «a jolt of electricity».

Examples

• The train stopped with a jolt. tree →
• The cart jolted along the bumpy road. tree →
• A loud bang jolted me awake. tree →
• Wear your seatbelt so a jolt doesn't throw you forward. tree →
• The bad news gave her a jolt. tree →
• He got a small jolt from the electric fence. tree →
• And every little while they went a little mile, and jolted so that they very nearly tumbled off. tree →

Note

Countable noun; regular verb: jolted, jolting. Similar: jerk, bump. Never touch electric fences or plugs — even a small jolt of electricity can hurt.