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Difference between 'jolt' and 'jerk' as a verb Are they interchangeable in the following examples? She jerked her head up. The bus jerked to a halt. She got to the door and jerked it open. Another earthquake jolted the city yesterday. The alarm jolted me out of a deep sleep.
Aug 20, 2016 5:12 PM
Answers · 7
2
They are imprecise and there is overlap. A "jerk" can be a sudden tug or pull. A "jerk" can also mean irregular movement; "jerky" is the opposite of "smooth." A "jolt" is a sudden push, perhaps from being hit. The skydiver felt a jerk when his parachute opened, and a jolt when he hit the ground.
August 20, 2016
1
A jerk is a quick tug or pull. A jolt usually implies an electrical shock that causes your muscles to jerk in response. He was jolted (shocked) into action. The rope tied to his waist suddenly jerked him sideways.
August 21, 2016
1
I agree with what has already been said by Lee and Dan, but since you want to know if the words are interchangeable in the sentences you mention I will add this: “Jolt” and “jerk” can pretty much mean the same thing. They both have to do with a sudden movement, but at least to me, “jolt” can suggest that the movement is more violent or what causes the movement acts with greater force. “Jolt” also has the additional meaning of giving someone a sudden shock. In my opinion the words are almost interchangeable in sentence 1-3 + 5, but if you replace “jerk” with “jolt” the movement seems more violent to me. Also, by using “jolt” the door would seem to have been been opened by giving it a blow (or push) instead of being for instance pulled open. In sentence 4 I wouldn’t replace “jolt” with “jerk” since an earthquake can be a violent and shocking thing.
August 21, 2016
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