Bolt — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb adverb /ˈbōlt/

Meaning & Definition of Bolt

Bolt (noun)

  1. a lightning stroke; also, thunderbolt
  2. a shaft or missile designed to be shot from a crossbow or catapult; especially, a short stout usually blunt-headed arrow
  3. a wood or metal bar or rod used to fasten a door
  4. the act or an instance of bolting

Bolt (verb)

  1. to move suddenly or nervously, start
  2. to move or proceed rapidly, dash
  3. to break away from control or a set course
  4. to sift usually through fine-meshed cloth
  5. sift

Bolt (adverb)

  1. in an erect or straight-backed position, rigidly
  2. directly, straight

Bolt (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to move suddenly and sharply (as in surprise)

    "I bolted as I read the winning lottery numbers"

    similar: jump, start, startle
    related: jerk, jolt, twitch, blench, cringe, flinch, quail, recoil, shrink, spook, squinch, wince, bound, leap, spring, react, respond

  2. to proceed or move quickly

    "the cat bolted for the food dish the minute he spied it"

    similar: barrel, belt, blast, blaze, blow, bomb (slang), bowl, breeze, bundle, bustle, buzz, cannonball, careen, career, chase, course, crack (on), dash, drive, fly, hare, hasten, hie, highball, hotfoot (it), hump, hurl, hurry, hurtle, hustle, jet, jump, motor, nip, pelt, race, ram, rip, rocket, run, rush, rustle, scoot, scurry, scuttle, shoot, speed, step, tear, travel, trot, whirl, whisk, zip, zoom, beat it, get a move on, make tracks, shake a leg, step on it
    related: beetle, dart, flit, scamper, scud, scuffle, stampede, streak, whiz, gallop, jog, sprint, accelerate, quicken, step out, catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake, arrow, beeline
    opposite: crawl, creep, poke
    near: dally, dawdle, dillydally, drag, hang (around or out), lag, linger, loiter, poke, tarry, amble, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stroll, decelerate, slow (down or up)

  3. to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening

    "the rabbit bolted when it saw the fox approaching"

    similar: break, bug out, flee, fly, hightail (it), retreat, run, run away, run off, skedaddle, beat a retreat, beat it, make tracks, turn tail
    related: abscond, clear out, decamp, elope, escape, get (away), get out, lam, light out, make off, mizzle (chiefly British), scarper (British), scat, scram, skip (out), skirr
    near: beard, brave, confront, dare, defy, face, abide, dwell, hang around, linger, remain, stay, stick around, tarry

  4. to utter with a sudden burst of strong feeling

    "bolted out the cuss word without thinking"

    similar: blat, blurt (out), cry (out), ejaculate, exclaim
    related: blunder, leak, bellow, bleat, crow, holler, hoot, howl, roar, shout, whoop, yowl, aah, ooh, interject

  5. to swallow or eat greedily

    "the way you bolted those hot dogs, it's no wonder you're feeling a little queasy"

    similar: cram, devour, glut (archaic), gobble, gorge, gormandize, gulp, ingurgitate, inhale, raven, scarf, scoff, slop, wolf
    related: overeat, pig out, swill
    near: nibble, peck, pick

Related Entry: Bolt-hole (noun)

Bolt-hole is a different word from Bolt. The synonyms below are for bolt-hole, not for bolt.

  1. something (as a building) that offers cover from the weather or protection from danger

    "her cottage in the Lake District served as her bolt-hole whenever the stresses of London became too great"

    similar: asylum, harbor, harborage, haven, refuge, retreat, sanctuary, sanctum, shelter
    related: oasis, anchorage, mooring, port, cover, screen, abode, diggings, domicile, dwelling, habitation, house, housing, lodging, lodgment, pad, place, quarters, residence, rest, roof, cloister, closet, covert, den, hermitage, hideaway, hideout, lair, castle, fastness, fort, fortress, palisade, redoubt, stronghold, lean-to, lee, shed, windbreak

Related Entry: Bolt from the blue (phrase)

Bolt from the blue is a different word from Bolt. The synonyms below are for bolt from the blue, not for bolt.

  1. something that makes a strong impression because it is so unexpected

    "a windfall that came as a bolt from the blue"

    similar: bombshell, jar, jaw-dropper, jolt, stunner, surprise
    related: shock, thunderclap, eye-opener, revelation, shocker, amazement, marvel, wonder, fillip, kick, kicker, twist, wrinkle

Related Entry: Bolt-holes (noun)

Bolt-holes is a different word from Bolt. The synonyms below are for bolt-holes, not for bolt.

  1. something (as a building) that offers cover from the weather or protection from danger

    "her cottage in the Lake District served as her bolt-hole whenever the stresses of London became too great"

    similar: asylums, harborages, harbors, havens, refuges, retreats, sanctuaries, sanctums, shelters
    related: oases, anchorages, moorings, ports, covers, screens, abodes, diggings, domiciles, dwellings, habitations, houses, housings, lodgings, lodgments, pads, places, quarters, residences, rests, roofs, cloisters, closets, coverts, dens, hermitages, hideaways, hideouts, lairs, castles, fortresses, forts, palisades, redoubts, strongholds, lean-tos, lees, sheds, windbreaks

Related Entry: Shoot (verb)

Shoot is a different word from Bolt. The synonyms below are for shoot, not for bolt.

  1. to cause (a projectile) to be driven forward with force

    "BB guns shoot small round metal pellets"

    similar: blast, discharge, fire, loose, squeeze off
    related: launch, project, blaze (at), snipe (at), cast, catapult, fling, heave, hurl, hurtle, lob, pelt, pitch, sling, throw, toss

  2. to cause a weapon to release a missile with great force

    "soldiers train extensively to learn to shoot accurately and quickly"

    similar: blast, discharge, fire
    related: blaze, pepper, plink, potshot, snipe

  3. to strike with a missile from a gun

    "hunters can shoot deer only during the legally specified open season"

    similar: drill, gun, plug, pop
    related: blow away, bring down, drop, pick off, shoot down, blaze, pepper, potshot, snipe (at), blast (at), fire (at), pistol, shotgun, machine-gun, tommy-gun, croak (slang), destroy, dispatch, do in, fell, ice (slang), kill, slay, annihilate, blot out, butcher, decimate, massacre, slaughter, wipe out

  4. to proceed or move quickly

    "some show-off shot past all the other skiers on the slope"

    similar: barrel, belt, blast, blaze, blow, bolt, bomb (slang), bowl, breeze, bundle, bustle, buzz, cannonball, careen, career, chase, course, crack (on), dash, drive, fly, hare, hasten, hie, highball, hotfoot (it), hump, hurl, hurry, hurtle, hustle, jet, jump, motor, nip, pelt, race, ram, rip, rocket, run, rush, rustle, scoot, scurry, scuttle, speed, step, tear, travel, trot, whirl, whisk, zip, zoom, beat it, get a move on, make tracks, shake a leg, step on it
    related: beetle, dart, flit, scamper, scud, scuffle, stampede, streak, whiz, gallop, jog, sprint, accelerate, quicken, step out, catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake, arrow, beeline
    opposite: crawl, creep, poke
    near: dally, dawdle, dillydally, drag, hang (around or out), lag, linger, loiter, poke, tarry, amble, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stroll, decelerate, slow (down or up)

  5. to take a photograph of

    "shooting the lakeside scene while the light lasted"

    similar: mug, photo, photograph, snap
    related: image, picture, rephotograph, retake, film, videotape

  6. to throw or give off

    "suddenly the old, broken-down toaster began shooting out sparks"

    similar: cast, discharge, emanate, emit, evolve, exhale, expel, expire (archaic), give out, irradiate, issue, radiate, release, send (out), throw out, vent
    related: eliminate, evacuate, excrete, exude, ooze, secrete, eject, erupt, gush, jet, outpour, pour, spew, spout, spray, spurt, squirt
    near: absorb, inhale, soak (up), sponge, suck (up), take up

  7. to voice one's opinions freely with force

    "you've been wanting to say something since this meeting started, so shoot"

    similar: pipe up, sound off, speak out, speak up, spout (off), talk up, speak one's mind
    related: bawl, bay, bellow, call, cry, holler, roar, shout, sing (out), thunder, vociferate, yell, articulate, enounce, enunciate
    near: belt up (British), clam up, dummy up, hush, shut up, suppress, quiet

  8. to mark with small spots especially unevenly

    "hazel eyes that were brown shot with green"

    similar: blotch, dapple, dot, fleck, freckle, marble, mottle, pepper, speck, speckle, splotch, spot, sprinkle, stipple
    related: blot, dye, stain, band, bar, streak, stripe, intersperse, set, stud, bespatter, spatter

  9. to cause to go or be taken from one place to another

    "shot a congratulatory e-mail to his friend as soon as he heard the good news"

    similar: consign, dispatch, pack (off), send, ship, transfer, transmit, transport
    related: convey, deliver, hand over, pass, render, advance, drop, launch, address, forward, export, import, bestow, contribute, donate, give, present, resend, return
    opposite: accept, receive
    near: acquire, draw, earn, gain, garner, get, obtain, procure, secure

Related Entry: Shoot (up) (verb)

Shoot (up) is a different word from Bolt. The synonyms below are for shoot (up), not for bolt.

  1. to rise abruptly and rapidly

    "gas prices shot up seemingly overnight"

    similar: rocket, skyrocket, soar, zoom
    related: accumulate, appreciate, balloon, build up, burgeon, enlarge, escalate, expand, increase, mount, multiply, mushroom, proliferate, snowball, swell, wax, crest, peak, surge, heighten, intensify
    opposite: nose-dive, plummet, plunge, slump, tumble
    near: collapse, fall, contract, decrease, diminish, drop, lessen, wane

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Bolt

The most common words with a similar meaning to Bolt:

Slang: bomb
Archaic: glut
jump, start, startle, barrel, belt, blast, blaze, blow, bowl, breeze, bundle, bustle, buzz, cannonball, careen, career, chase, course, crack (on), dash, drive, fly, hare, hasten, hie, highball, hotfoot (it), hump, hurl, hurry, hurtle, hustle, jet, motor, nip, pelt, race, ram, rip, rocket

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Bolt

Words with the opposite meaning of Bolt:

crawl, creep, poke

Related Words for Bolt

jerk, jolt, twitch, blench, cringe, flinch, quail, recoil, shrink, spook, squinch, wince, bound, leap, spring, react, respond, beetle, dart, flit, scamper, scud, scuffle, stampede, streak, whiz, gallop, jog, sprint, accelerate

Near Antonyms of Bolt

dally, dawdle, dillydally, drag, hang (around or out), lag, linger, loiter, tarry, amble, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stroll, decelerate, slow (down or up), beard, brave, confront, dare, defy, face, abide, dwell, hang around, remain, stay, stick around, nibble

Word Forms of Bolt

Inflections: bolted, bolting, bolts

Origin & Etymology of Bolt

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German bolz crossbow bolt, and perhaps to Lithuanian beldėti to beat

First known use: before 12th century

Words & Phrases Containing Bolt

bolt-action, bolt from the blue, bolt-hole, dead bolt, shoot one's bolt

Frequently Asked Questions about Bolt

What does "Bolt" mean?

"Bolt" means a lightning stroke; also, thunderbolt. As an a noun, a verb and an adverb, it is defined as: a lightning stroke; also, thunderbolt. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Bolt"?

Other words for "Bolt" include jump, start, startle, barrel, belt, blast, blaze and blow. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Bolt" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Bolt"?

There are 165 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Bolt". Common alternatives include jump, start, startle, barrel, belt, blast, blaze, blow, bomb and bowl.

What is the opposite of "Bolt"?

Antonyms of "Bolt" include crawl, creep and poke. Near antonyms include dally, dawdle, dillydally and drag.

How do you use "Bolt" in a sentence?

Examples of "Bolt" in a sentence: "I bolted as I read the winning lottery numbers"; "the cat bolted for the food dish the minute he spied it"; "the rabbit bolted when it saw the fox approaching".

Is "Bolt" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Bolt" can be used as a noun, a verb and an adverb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Bolt"?

"Bolt" is pronounced /ˈbōlt/.

What is the origin of the word "Bolt"?

"Bolt" comes from Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German bolz crossbow bolt, and perhaps to Lithuanian beldėti to beat. First known use: before 12th century.