jar

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈjär

Synonyms of jar next

: a widemouthed container made typically of earthenware or glass

a pottery jar

a cookie jar

: as much as a jar will hold

ate an entire jar of pickles

jarful

ˈjär-ˌfu̇l

noun

jar

2 of 4

verb

jarred; jarring

intransitive verb

: to have a harshly disagreeable or disconcerting effect

The noise jarred on her nerves.

a jarring experience

: to make a harsh or discordant sound

winced as the iron gate jarred against the sidewalk

: to be out of harmony

a course that jarred with his habitual feelings—

George Eliot

specifically : bicker

: to undergo severe vibration

transitive verb

: to cause to jar: such as

: to affect disagreeably : unsettle

The violent opposition jarred his resolve.

: to make unstable or loose : shake

jar the ball free

jar

3 of 4

noun (2)

: a sudden or unexpected shake

jars and jolts

: an unsettling shock

gave her nerves a jar

: an unpleasant break or conflict in rhythm, flow, or transition

works persistently, swiftly, without jar—

Sinclair Lewis

: a state or manifestation of discord or conflict

: a harsh grating sound

jar

4 of 4

noun (3)

archaic

: the position of being ajar

—usually used in the phrase on the jar

Examples of jar in a Sentence

Verb The loss jarred his confidence in the team. The earthquake jarred the tiles loose. The tiles jarred loose in the earthquake. Noun (2) this padded case should protect your laptop from the jars normally experienced while traveling the flow of her day was interrupted with the jar of an unexpected crisis the jar of a stuck car door

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

When the employee would open the register, the rest of the group would approach them with firearms and demand cash from the register and tip jars. —

Darcy Costello, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2024 On the way out, the president of the board charmingly handed out jars of local marmalade to anyone who made a $20 donation to the playhouse. —

Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2024

Verb

But the Court’s reaffirmation of this ordinary and once uncontested legal principle is still jarring on the same day that the Court handed down a blueprint for a Trump dictatorship in its presidential immunity case. —

Ian Millhiser, Vox, 1 July 2024 And the central government’s attempt to reassure has jarred with the local crackdowns, causing confusion and fear. —

Laura He, CNN, 21 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for jar

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle French jarre, from Old Occitan jarra, from Arabic jarra earthen water vessel

Verb and Noun (2)

probably of imitative origin

Noun (3)

alteration of earlier char turn, from Middle English — more at chare

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1526, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1b

Noun (2)

1537, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Noun (3)

1674, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of jar was in 1526

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Jar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jar. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.

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Kids Definition

jar

1 of 3 verb

ˈjär

jarred; jarring

: to make a harsh or disagreeable sound

: to have a harsh or disagreeable effect

noise that jars the nerves

: to cause to vibrate : shake

: clash entry 1 sense 2b, conflict

jarring opinions

jar

2 of 3 noun

: a harsh sound

: jolt entry 2

: quarrel entry 1 sense 2, dispute

: a painful effect : shock

jar

3 of 3 noun

: a usually glass or pottery container having a wide mouth

: the quantity held by a jar

Etymology

Verb

probably an imitation of the sound made

Noun

from early French jarre "a container with a wide mouth," derived from Arabic jarrah "a pottery water container"

Last Updated: 13 Jul 2024 - Updated example sentences

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jar

noun (1)

verb

noun (2)

noun (3)

Synonyms

Examples of jar in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near jar

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition