What does jounce mean?
The word jounce refers to a jolting or bouncing motion, or to cause something to move with such a motion. It can be used as both a verb and a noun. As a verb, it means to cause something to bounce or jolt, often in a rough or irregular manner. For example, a carriage might jounce along a rough road. As a noun, it describes the jolt or bounce itself, such as the jounce of a car that wakes up a sleeping child. Jounce is often used in informal or colloquial contexts, and is more commonly used in US English. It is a useful word for adding variety to descriptions of physical motion.
To cause to bounce or jolt
"The carriage jounced along the rough road."
A jolt or bounce
"The jounce of the car woke up the sleeping child."
rarely used as a countable noun
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of jounce
The word jounce originated in the mid-17th century, likely an imitative word. It is related to the words bounce and jolt.
How jounce is actually used
Informal or colloquial usage; more commonly used in US English.