Meaning & use
the jolt
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Meanings
nouncountable
a sudden, strong shake or movement that is not expected
Grammar: Often used with 'a' or 'the'. Can be literal (physical) or figurative (emotional).
Patterns
- a jolt of something
- give someone a jolt
- with a jolt
- the jolt of something
The bus hit a pothole and gave us a nasty jolt.
She woke with a jolt when the alarm rang.
The news of the merger came as a jolt to the staff.
nouncountablefigurative
a sudden strong feeling or shock, especially an unpleasant one
Grammar: Often followed by 'of' + emotion: 'a jolt of fear'.
Patterns
- a jolt of fear
- a jolt of surprise
- a jolt of adrenaline
- feel a jolt
He felt a jolt of fear when he heard the scream.
The unexpected victory gave her a jolt of happiness.
The documentary gave me a jolt of reality.
Word forms
| plural | jolts |
|---|
Common combinations
- give someone a jolt
- The coffee gave me a jolt of energy.
- a jolt of electricity
- The fence delivers a jolt of electricity to keep animals in.
- come as a jolt
- The criticism came as a jolt to the young writer.
- with a jolt
- He realized with a jolt that he had forgotten his passport.
Synonyms and how they differ
- shock
- Stronger and often more emotional; a jolt can be physical or a sudden surprise, while shock usually suggests a deeper disturbance.
- bump
- A less violent shake, often from a vehicle or a minor collision; a jolt is sharper and more sudden.
- jar
- A sudden unpleasant shake or shock; 'jar' often implies a harsh, grating effect, while 'jolt' is more neutral.
Word family
Commonly confused: the jolt or jot?
the jolt vs jot
Means to write something quickly, or a very small amount. 'Jolt' has an 'l' and means a shake.
Practice
The car hit a bump and gave the passengers a sudden ___.
Choose one answer.
'Jolt' means a sudden shake. 'Jot' means a small amount or to write quickly; 'jog' is a slow run; 'joke' is a funny story.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “the jolt”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.