Jolt
/dʒoʊlt/noun
To give a sudden, sharp shock or jerk; a sudden shock or surprise.
Did you know?Jolt is historically tied to older regional words meaning to shake or bump violently, not to any occult root—but its sound still perfectly imitates the abruptness it names.
Etymological Timeline
Early Modern English
English
jolt
“to shake or jar violently”
16th-17th Century
English dialect
jolte / jolt
“a rough shake, jarring movement”
Unknown earlier regional source
Germanic?
*jolt-
“likely a dialectal base connected with shaking or jolting”
Modern English
English
jolt
“a sudden shock, jerk, or startling surprise”