jolt
B2Neutral to informal. Used across spoken and written English, but less common in highly formal academic prose.
Definition
Meaning
A sudden, violent shock or shake.
A sudden surprise or shock that causes a strong emotional or mental reaction; also, a small but potent amount of something (e.g., coffee).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies abruptness, violence, and disruption of a previous steady state. Can be physical, emotional, or metaphorical.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning or usage. Minor variations in common collocations may exist due to cultural context.
Connotations
Identical connotations of sudden, unpleasant disruption in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American English according to corpus data, but common in both.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Jolt [object] (e.g., The crash jolted the passengers.)Jolt [object] + [adverbial] (e.g., The news jolted him into action.)Jolt + [adverbial] (e.g., The train jolted violently.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a jolt to the system”
- “jolt someone out of something (e.g., complacency)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Market news can jolt stock prices. The scandal jolted investor confidence.
Academic
The discovery jolted the scientific community's understanding of the phenomenon.
Everyday
I need a coffee to give me a morning jolt. The pothole jolted the car.
Technical
A power surge can jolt sensitive electrical equipment.
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- He felt a jolt of panic as the door slammed.
- The bus started with a jolt.
American English
- She needed a jolt of caffeine to get started.
- The earthquake's first jolt was the strongest.
verb
British English
- The lorry jolted over the uneven road.
- The alarm jolted her out of a deep sleep.
American English
- The truck jolted over the bumpy road.
- The verdict jolted the community into protest.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The bus stopped with a jolt.
- I felt a little jolt when I touched the wire.
- The bad news gave everyone a jolt.
- The old car jolted along the dirt track.
- The accident jolted his confidence in driving.
- Her resignation sent a jolt through the entire department.
- The policy is designed to jolt the industry out of its complacency.
- He experienced a profound existential jolt after reading the philosophy text.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'JOLT' like 'JOLT' cola – it's a sudden burst of energy or shock.
Conceptual Metaphor
SURPRISE/CHANGE IS A PHYSICAL IMPACT (e.g., The news hit me like a jolt).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation to 'толчок' for non-physical contexts; use 'потрясение' for emotional shock.
- Do not confuse with 'jostle' (толкаться).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'jolt' for a gradual process (Incorrect: The economy jolted slowly into recovery).
- Overusing as a synonym for any surprise.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'jolt' used METAPHORICALLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Most often, but not always. While it usually describes an unpleasant shock, it can be neutral (a jolt of electricity) or positive in informal contexts (a caffeine jolt).
Yes, it is commonly used as both a transitive/intransitive verb ('to jolt someone') and a countable noun ('a sudden jolt').
'Jolt' implies a single, sudden, and sharp movement or shock. 'Shake' suggests a more prolonged or repetitive motion. A sudden stop is a jolt; an earthquake causes shaking which may include jolts.
It's used metaphorically for sudden, disruptive changes: 'The merger jolted the market,' 'a jolt to profits,' 'to jolt productivity.'