jaunt
C1Informal / Neutral
Definition
Meaning
A short trip or excursion taken for pleasure.
A brief journey, typically undertaken for amusement or leisure, often implying a casual, carefree, or relaxed manner.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word strongly implies pleasure, leisure, and a lack of serious purpose. It can be used both literally (a physical trip) and metaphorically (a mental diversion). It is more common as a noun than a verb.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical in meaning and frequency.
Connotations
Slightly more literary or old-fashioned in British English; slightly more casual in American English.
Frequency
Low-to-medium frequency in both varieties, perhaps slightly more common in American journalistic or travel writing.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to go on a jaunt (to + [place])to take a jaunt (around/through + [area])to jaunt off (to + [place])Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to be (just) a jaunt away”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Very rare. Might be used metaphorically to downplay a business trip's difficulty: 'The sales conference was more of a jaunt than work.'
Academic
Extremely rare, except in historical or literary contexts describing travel.
Everyday
Common in informal conversation about leisure travel: 'We're just popping into the city for a little jaunt.'
Technical
Not used.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- They decided to jaunt down to Brighton for the day.
- He's always jaunting off to some new European city.
American English
- Let's jaunt up to the lake this afternoon.
- She jaunted around the state visiting antique shops.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- We went on a short jaunt to the beach.
- Our weekend jaunt to the mountains was very refreshing.
- It's just a quick jaunt from the hotel to the museum.
- The article described his jaunt through the Italian countryside as idyllic.
- After the conference, they took a leisurely jaunt around the historic district.
- The director's latest film is a whimsical jaunt through the subconscious mind.
- What was meant to be a brief jaunt to the store turned into a three-hour shopping marathon.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a joyful aunt (jaunt) who is always going on fun little trips.
Conceptual Metaphor
PLEASURE IS A SHORT JOURNEY; LEISURE IS A DIVERSION FROM THE MAIN PATH.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating as 'путешествие' (journey/voyage) which implies length and seriousness. Better equivalents are 'поездка' (trip) or 'вылазка' (foray/excursion), but note 'jaunt' has a stronger connotation of leisure.
Common Mistakes
- Using it for a long or difficult journey (e.g., *'a jaunt across the Siberian wilderness').
- Using the verb form too frequently; the noun is more common.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes the core meaning of 'jaunt'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but it is less common than the noun form. It means 'to go on a short trip for pleasure' and often has a slightly old-fashioned or literary feel (e.g., 'they jaunted off to Paris').
Primarily yes, but it can be used metaphorically for a brief, enjoyable mental or imaginative diversion, such as 'a jaunt through the history of jazz' in a documentary.
They are very close synonyms. 'Jaunt' is slightly more informal and emphasises the carefree, pleasurable aspect. 'Excursion' can be slightly more formal and is often used for an organised group trip.
It is overwhelmingly positive, connoting leisure, pleasure, and ease. Using it for a difficult or unpleasant trip would be ironic or sarcastic.