Full List
Jab: To poke or thrust abruptly with a sharp object or with the finger. To strike quickly with a short blow.
- He jabbed the button to call the elevator.
- The boxer jabbed at his opponent’s face.
Jangle: To make a harsh, discordant ringing sound. To cause irritation or unsettle nerves.
- The keys jangled in her pocket as she walked.
- The constant noise jangled his nerves.
Jape: To say or do something jokingly. To mock or jest in a playful way.
- They spent the evening japing at each other’s expense.
- He japed about the situation, but no one laughed.
Jar: To make a harsh, grating sound. To have a sudden, unpleasant effect on someone’s feelings.
- The screech of the brakes jarred everyone’s ears.
- The comment jarred with her sense of fairness.
Jargonize: To speak or write in jargon, especially in an overly technical or obscure way.
- The professor jargonized so much that few understood his lecture.
Javelin: To hurl or throw something as if it were a javelin.
- The warrior javelined his spear across the field.
Jaw: To talk or chat, especially at length. To scold or nag.
- The two old friends sat on the porch and jawed for hours.
- The teacher jawed at the students for being late.
Jaywalk: To cross a street illegally or recklessly, ignoring traffic rules.
- She jaywalked across the busy avenue despite the red light.
Jazz: To liven up or make more exciting. To improvise in the style of jazz music.
- He jazzed up the presentation with music and animations.
- The pianist jazzed the melody into something unique.
Jeer: To mock, taunt, or shout rude remarks at someone.
- The crowd jeered the losing team as they left the field.
Jell: To take shape or become clear. To solidify like gelatin.
- The plan finally jelled after weeks of discussion.
- The mixture jelled as it cooled.
Jellify: To cause to become gelatinous or set like jelly.
- The sauce jellified after cooling in the fridge.
Jeopardize: To put at risk or in danger.
- His reckless actions jeopardized the entire mission.
Jerk: To move suddenly and sharply. To marinate and cook meat with spicy seasoning (Caribbean).
- The dog jerked the leash from her hands.
- The chef jerked the chicken before grilling it.
Jett: To spout, gush, or project forcefully.
- Water jetted from the broken pipe.
Jettison: To throw or discard something, especially to lighten a load. To abandon an idea or plan.
- The crew jettisoned supplies to save the sinking ship.
- The company jettisoned its old policies.
Jig: To dance a lively dance. To move with quick, jerky motions.
- They jigged merrily to the fiddle tune.
- He jigged the fishing line to attract a bite.
Jingle: To make a light, ringing sound like small bells.
- The coins jingled in her purse.
Jinx: To bring bad luck to.
- Don’t jinx the game by celebrating too early!
Jitter: To move or shake with nervous, irregular motion.
- He jittered with excitement before the performance.
Jive: To dance to jazz or swing music. To talk in a lively, slangy, or deceptive way.
- They jived all night at the club.
- Stop jiving and give me a straight answer.
Jockey: To struggle or maneuver for advantage. To ride a horse in a race.
- Several candidates jockeyed for position in the race.
- He jockeyed a winning horse at the Derby.
Jog: To run at a steady, moderate pace. To nudge or prompt.
- She jogs every morning before work.
- He jogged her memory about the meeting.
Join: To connect, unite, or become part of something.
- He joined the committee to help with planning.
Joke: To say or act in a humorous way.
- He joked about the weather to lighten the mood.
Jollify: To make merry or celebrate.
- They jollified after the big victory.
Jolly: To encourage or cheer someone up.
- She jollied her friend into joining the dance.
Jolt: To move suddenly and roughly. To shock or surprise.
- The bus jolted over the pothole.
- The announcement jolted everyone in the room.
Jolter: To shake or jolt violently.
- The cart joltered along the rocky road.
Jostle: To push, elbow, or bump against someone, typically in a crowd.
- The commuters jostled for space on the train.
Jot: To write down quickly or briefly.
- She jotted a note before leaving the meeting.
Jounce: To move in a jolting or bouncing manner.
- The car jounced over the uneven path.
Journal: To record experiences, thoughts, or events in a journal.
- She journals every night before bed.
Journalize: To record events or transactions in a journal.
- The accountant journalized the expenses at the end of the day.
Journey: To travel from one place to another.
- They journeyed across the desert by camel.
Journeywork: To perform menial or servile labor.
- The apprentice was left to journeywork until he learned the trade.
Judge: To form an opinion about; to evaluate. To preside over a legal trial.
- You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.
- The court judged the case fairly.
Juggle: To keep several objects in motion by tossing and catching. To manage many tasks at once.
- The clown juggled three flaming torches.
- She juggles work, school, and family responsibilities.
Juice: To power up or energize. To extract juice from fruit or vegetables.
- He juiced up the car engine before the race.
- She juiced the oranges for breakfast.
Juke: To make a deceptive move to evade an opponent.
- The running back juked past the defender.
Jukebox: To manipulate or influence a system or process.
- The hackers jukeboxed the algorithm to get better results.
Jumble: To mix into a confused or disordered mass.
- The drawer was jumbled with papers and pens.
Jumble-sale: To sell second-hand items cheaply, often for charity.
- They jumble-saled their old clothes for charity.
Jump: To push oneself off the ground into the air. To make a sudden move.
- The cat jumped onto the windowsill.
- She jumped at the sound of the explosion.
Jump-start: To start a vehicle by connecting it to another power source. To start something quickly or energize it.
- He jump-started his car after the battery died.
- The new campaign jump-started sales.
Junction: To join or connect.
- The rivers junctioned near the valley.
Junk: To discard or get rid of something as useless.
- He junked his old laptop after it stopped working.
Justify: To show or prove something to be right or reasonable. To align text evenly along a margin.
- She justified her decision with solid evidence.
- The paragraph was justified on both sides.
Jut: To extend outward or upward beyond a surface.
- The cliff juts out over the sea.
Juxtapose: To place side by side for comparison or contrast.
- The artist juxtaposed bright colors with dark shadows.
