1
: a widemouthed container made typically of earthenware or glass
a pottery jar
a cookie jar
2
: as much as a jar will hold
ate an entire jar of pickles
jarred; jarring
1
a
: to have a harshly disagreeable or disconcerting effect
The noise jarred on her nerves.
a jarring experience
b
: to make a harsh or discordant sound
winced as the iron gate jarred against the sidewalk
c
: to be out of harmony
a course that jarred with his habitual feelings—
George Eliot
George Eliot
specifically
: bicker
2
: to undergo severe vibration
1
a
: a sudden or unexpected shake
jars and jolts
b
: an unsettling shock
gave her nerves a jar
c
: an unpleasant break or conflict in rhythm, flow, or transition
works persistently, swiftly, without jar—Sinclair Lewis
Sinclair Lewis2
a
: a state or manifestation of discord or conflict
b
: a harsh grating sound
archaic
: the position of being ajar
—usually used in the phrase on the jar
Synonyms
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 WebCathy Kozlowicz, Journal Sentinel, 10 May 2024
Numerous large jars were discovered at the site, which had been imported from Mesopotamia, officials said.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 10 May 2024
Until recently, pub tips were modest: a few odd coins tossed into a jar on the counter after pints were poured.
—Anthony Palazzo, Fortune Europe, 10 May 2024
Ladle hot chutney into hot clean half-pint canning jars, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace.
—Colleen Weeden, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 May 2024
Ideal for neatly stowing and elevating cans of food, spice jars, condiments, and more, this shelf is uniquely expandable.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 2 May 2024
Their Full of Gratitude candle blends lemongrass with gardenia and comes in a practical jar that will look beautiful even after the candle is burnt out.
—Emily Hochberg, Parents, 2 May 2024
At the immunity challenge, Probst offered a jar of rice to any player who wanted to sit out of the challenge.
—Brian Anthony Hernandez, Peoplemag, 2 May 2024
All the cracks in the hole of the bottom of the jar.
—J.m. Banks, Kansas City Star, 1 May 2024
Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024
In particular, the loud roars from Godzilla, Kong and other creatures in Hollow Earth are certain to jar kids who are sensitive to noise.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Ingredients: 3 cups petal infusion, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 box powdered pectin, 4 1/2 cups sugar
Instructions
Boil jars 15 minutes.
—Rita Nader Heikenfeld, The Enquirer, 3 Apr. 2024
And so, the image of Victoria Beckham in a pair of comfortable sneakers is always going to jar on some level, much like when the designer wore a box-fresh pair of Nike Air Jordans while strolling–read: shuffling on crutches–around Paris yesterday afternoon.
—Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 22 Mar. 2024
On the morning of the wedding, which was held down the road from Fleming’s Goldeneye estate in Jamaica, the happy couple were jarred awake by the croaking of an unknown bird.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2024
The juxtaposition here of magical realism and hard realism, jarring at first, is emotionally overpowering.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Feb. 2024
The daughter would not need to be cut out, and the family’s equanimity needn’t be jarred.
—Martin Shenkman, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
The mass killing and ensuing two-day manhunt have jarred this inland area of Maine.
—Justine McDaniel, Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2023
Noun
Candle making ranges from $20 to $35 depending on the vessel and jar selected.
—Cathy Kozlowicz, Journal Sentinel, 10 May 2024
Numerous large jars were discovered at the site, which had been imported from Mesopotamia, officials said.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 10 May 2024
Until recently, pub tips were modest: a few odd coins tossed into a jar on the counter after pints were poured.
—Anthony Palazzo, Fortune Europe, 10 May 2024
Ladle hot chutney into hot clean half-pint canning jars, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace.
—Colleen Weeden, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 May 2024
Ideal for neatly stowing and elevating cans of food, spice jars, condiments, and more, this shelf is uniquely expandable.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 2 May 2024
Their Full of Gratitude candle blends lemongrass with gardenia and comes in a practical jar that will look beautiful even after the candle is burnt out.
—Emily Hochberg, Parents, 2 May 2024
At the immunity challenge, Probst offered a jar of rice to any player who wanted to sit out of the challenge.
—Brian Anthony Hernandez, Peoplemag, 2 May 2024
All the cracks in the hole of the bottom of the jar.
—J.m. Banks, Kansas City Star, 1 May 2024
Verb
Her mother jarred pickles and her father worked in a slaughterhouse.
—Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024
In particular, the loud roars from Godzilla, Kong and other creatures in Hollow Earth are certain to jar kids who are sensitive to noise.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Ingredients: 3 cups petal infusion, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 box powdered pectin, 4 1/2 cups sugar
Instructions
Boil jars 15 minutes.
—Rita Nader Heikenfeld, The Enquirer, 3 Apr. 2024
And so, the image of Victoria Beckham in a pair of comfortable sneakers is always going to jar on some level, much like when the designer wore a box-fresh pair of Nike Air Jordans while strolling–read: shuffling on crutches–around Paris yesterday afternoon.
—Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 22 Mar. 2024
On the morning of the wedding, which was held down the road from Fleming’s Goldeneye estate in Jamaica, the happy couple were jarred awake by the croaking of an unknown bird.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2024
The juxtaposition here of magical realism and hard realism, jarring at first, is emotionally overpowering.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Feb. 2024
The daughter would not need to be cut out, and the family’s equanimity needn’t be jarred.
—Martin Shenkman, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
The mass killing and ensuing two-day manhunt have jarred this inland area of Maine.
—Justine McDaniel, Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2023
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.
Dictionary Entries Near jar
Cite this Entry
“Jar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jar. Accessed 16 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
jar
1 of 3 verb
jarred; jarring
1
a
: to make a harsh or disagreeable sound
b
: to have a harsh or disagreeable effect
noise that jars the nerves
2
: to cause to vibrate : shake
3
: clash entry 1 sense 2b, conflict
jarring opinions
jar
2 of 3 nounjar
3 of 3 noun1
: a usually glass or pottery container having a wide mouth
2
: 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"
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