105 Verbs That Start with J [with Definitions and Examples]

Verbs that start with J might not be the centerpiece of our writing or daily conversations, but they do help us bring clarity and conciseness to our sentences. We can also give a professional tone to our writing by using the verbs beginning with J.

Verbs starting with J or any letter as we know represent the action of a sentence and if you are not a native, it is very easy to incorrectly use verbs that start with J to describe a person which can leave a terrible impression. And, for better or worse, people judge you on that.

But we have got you covered since this list of verbs that start with J will try to encompass definitions, synonyms, and simple sentences that will forbid you to misuse verbs that start with J and will boost your confidence while communicating.

Verbs That Start with J You Always Use

Let’s start with something we are already familiar with, ten of the commonly used verbs that start with J. Let’s get down to the list.

1.Jail

●  Definition: to put someone in a place they cannot escape

●  Synonyms: imprison, detain, confine

●  Example: Police jailed him because of illegal drug use.

 2. Jerk

●  Definition: to pull, push, or throw in a sharp, sudden motion

●  Synonyms: lurch, wrench, thrust

●  Example: He was in a hurry, so he jerked the door open.

3. Jabber

●  Definition: to talk quickly and babble nonsense

●  Synonyms: babble, blather, chatter

●  Example: Akram is always jabbering about football.

4. Joint

●  Definition: provide or fasten (something) with joints

●  Synonyms: cut up, butcher, crave

●  Example: We used a sharp knife to joint the goat.

5. Journal

●  Definition: to write observations or thoughts in a journal

●  Synonyms: document, report, write

●  Example: Students should journal to improve their thought process.

6. Judge

●  Definition: to decide on or form an opinion about

●  Synonyms: decide, deduce, assess

●  Example: He doesn’t judge people and accept them for who they are.

7. Jump

●  Definition: to bounce or spring from one surface to another

●  Synonyms: hop, leap, spring

●  Example: We should never jump to conclusions.

8. Justify

●  Definition: to explain something, to make it seem okay

●  Synonyms: advocate, condone, confirm

●  Example: Your actions justify your character.

9. Jiggle

●  Definition: to move in quick, slight jerks

●  Synonyms: agitate, bounce, shake

●  Example:Try not to jiggle the camera while taking pictures.

 10. Joke

●  Definition: to do or say something for fun

●  Synonyms: kid, tease, quip

●  Example: He joked that his late grandfather was a king.

Verbs That Start with J You Usually Use

Verbs starting with J are very diverse, but there are also those that we use regularly. Read on to see if you use these verbs in their true essence or not.

1. Jaw

●  Definition: to talk quickly or to jabber

●  Synonyms: babble, chatter, gab

●  Example: I was too busy to spend time jawing with the rest of the crew.

2. Jitter

●  Definition: to be unsteady with small, rapid movements

●  Synonyms: quiver, tremble, agitate

●  Example: Most of the students were anxious but some were even jittering.

 3. Jockey

●  Definition: to change position to get an advantage

●  Synonyms: maneuver, direct, guide

●  Example: They were jockeying for the top spot.

4. Jog

●  Definition: to give a shake, shove or nudge, as in a person’s memory

●  Synonyms: activate, nudge, prompt

●  Example: He began to jog regularly.

5. Jolt

●  Definition: an abrupt movement, or a shock

●  Synonyms: surprise, startle, upset

●  Example: He was jolted backward by a strong water wave.

6. Jot

●  Definition: to write something quickly

●  Synonyms: record, scribble, write

●  Example: I have jotted down the minutes of the meeting.

7. Journey

●  Definition: to travel

●  Synonyms: ramble, roam, wander

●  Example: They journeyed the west.

8. Junk

●  Definition: to throw away or discard

●  Synonyms: discard, abandon, dispose of

●  Example: Junk everything that is not useful.

9. Jump-start

●  Definition: to start or restart (something) rapidly or forcefully

●  Synonyms: boost, jump

●  Example: Advertising can jump-start a political campaign.

10. Juice

●  Definition: to get the liquid out of something

●  Synonyms: squeeze, extract

●  Example: Juice one mango at a time.

Verbs That Start with J You Often Use

Verbs are the heart of any sentence or clause, which means the choice of verbs is crucial for our statements,especially the ones that are used repeatedly. So, let’s jump to the list of verbs starting with J and their accurate use.

1. Job

●  Definition:do casual or occasional work

●  Synonyms: work, labor, grind

●  Example: He left school and jobbed as a waiter in a restaurant.

2. Jeopardize

●  Definition: to put someone or something in a dangerous situation

●  Synonyms: endanger, expose

●  Example: You have jeopardized our safety by leaking sensitive information.

3. Joke

●  Definition: to do or say something for fun

●  Synonyms: kid, tease, quip

●  Example: He is always joking around.

4. Jelly

●  Definition: set (food) as or in a jelly

●  Synonyms: coagulate, congeal

●  Example: The eels are stewed and jellied.

5. Jell

●  Definition: (of a project or idea) take a definite form or begin to work well

●  Synonyms: functioning well, running smoothly, ticking over

●  Example: He decided to do a different film that would jell at the box office.

6. Jet

●  Definition: to travel by aircraft

●  Synonyms: zoom, fly, travel

●  Example: He jetted off for a vacation in Disney.

7. Jinx

●  Definition: to bring someone bad luck, cast an evil spell on

●  Synonyms: condemn, cruse, bewitch

●  Example: I knew they were going to win but I didn’t say so as I didn’t want to jinx them.

8.Josh

●  Definition: to tease in a good-natured way

●  Synonyms: jest, jive, kid

●  Example: He was just joshing around.

 9. Juggle

●  Definition: to manage various tasks at the same time

●  Synonyms: multitask, shuffle

●  Example: He is proficient in juggling his work and house life.

Verbs That Start with J You Sometimes Use

Verbs beginning with J don’t comprise a long list, despite that, there are some words that we use less often than others. Let’s see a list of these verbs.

1. Juke

●  Definition: to turn or bend quickly, typically to avoid someone or something

●  Synonyms: go round, revolve, bend

●  Example: I juked around the corner.

3. Jangle

●  Definition: to make a harsh, inharmonious sound

●  Synonyms: chime, clang, clatter

●  Example: School bell jangled loudly.

4. Jar

●  Definition: to shock, shake, vibrate, or quarrel

●  Synonyms:disturb, offend, rattle

●  Example: He jarred his knee during training.

5. Jazz

●  Definition: play or dance to jazz music

●  Synonyms: whirl, spin, sway

●  Example: They were jazzing in the bar.

6. Jeer

●  Definition: to make fun of in a mean or mocking way

●  Synonyms: heckle, ridicule, tease

●  Example: Even this year seniors jeered the newcomers.

7. Jibe

●  Definition: to be in harmony, agreement, or accord

●  Synonyms: agree, conform, dovetail

●  Example: The verdict does not jibe with medical evidence.

8. Joyride

●  Definition: to take a motor vehicle on an enjoyable ride

●  Synonyms: drive, cruise, travel

●  Example: Last week I was joyriding with my elder brother.

9. Jumble

●  Definition: to confuse something, or mix something up

●  Synonyms: disorganize, confuse, confound

●  Example: I jumbled my notes by not mentioning the page number.

 10. Jug

●  Definition: to imprison someone

●  Synonyms: lock-up, jail, taken into custody

●  Example: The police couldn’t jug him without evidence.

Verbs That Start with J You Occasionally Use

Below is another list of verb words that start with J. These verbs might not be used often and some of then can help you tweak your sentence structure.

1.  Jaywalk

●  Definition: to walk across a street in the middle of a block rather than at a crosswalk

●  Synonyms:traversing, crossing over, going across

●  Example: We were warned for jaywalking by a police officer.

2. Jetski

●  Definition: to ride on a jet ski, or a powered watercraft with a seat and handlebars

●  Synonyms: surfing, skiing

●  Example: She loves jetskiing.

3. Jetwash

●  Definition: to remove something by spraying it with high-pressure water

●  Synonyms: pressure wash, spray, clean

●  Example: The car was jetwashed by the workers of a petrol station.

4. Jive

●  Definition: to talk in a way that is insincere or exaggerated to try to fool people

●  Synonyms: babble, blubber, murmur

●  Example: He kept jiving me until I left.

5. Joust

●  Definition: to be in sport against another knight on horseback

●  Synonyms: combat, contest, duel

●  Example: The guerrillas jousted for supremacy.

6. Jut

●  Definition: to stick out more than usual

●  Synonyms: stick out, protrude, project out

●  Example:It seemed as if mountains were jutting into the sky.

7. Japan

●  Definition:to cover (something) with a hard black varnish

●  Synonyms: cover, wrap, coat

●  Example: They japanned the floor to give it a good look.

8. Juxtapose

●  Definition: to put two things close to each other to highlight the differences between them

●  Synonyms: contrast, pair, appose

●  Example: Black-and-white photos of slums were starkly juxtaposed with color images.

9. Joggle

●  Definition: cause to move with repeated small bobs or jerks

●  Synonyms: shake, waggle, agitate

●  Example: Balloons were joggling in the sky.

10. Jellify

●  Definition: become or make into jelly

●  Synonyms:materialize, condense, freeze

●  Example: The stock will jellify soon.

Verbs That Start with J You Seldom Use

Different factors affect the frequency with which we use a word. But you can always take time to discover some scarcely used words and verbs. So, let’s have a look at the verbs that start with the letter J.

1.Jigger

●  Definition: rearrange or tamper with

●  Synonyms: regroup, switch around, swap around

●  Example: Don’t jigger the cards they are in a certain pattern.

2. Jib

●  Definition: (of an animal, especially a horse) stop and refuse to go on

●  Synonyms: stop at, retreat, shy at

●  Example: The horse jibbed at the last fence.

3. Justle

●  Definition: to run or strike against each other

●  Synonyms: encounter, clash, jostle

●  Example: The players justled against each other during the match.

4. Jilt

●  Definition: to treat someone badly, or reject a lover

●  Synonyms: abandon, betray, discard

●  Example: He was jilted by his best friend.

5. Jimmy

●  Definition: to pry open with a tool

●  Synonyms: pry, force, open

●  Example: A burglar jemmied his patio doors.

6. Jostle

●  Definition: to push and shove your way through a crowd

●  Synonyms: bulldoze, collide, elbow

●  Example: He was jostled by passengers rushing to catch a train.

7. Judder

●  Definition: to shake, wobble or vibrate

●  Synonyms: fluctuate, oscillate

●  Example: Building began to judder due to earthquake.

8. Jackknife

●  Definition: move one’s body into a bent or doubled-up position

●  Synonyms: bend, double up, fold up

●  Example: She jackknifed into a sitting position.

9. Julienne

●  Definition: to cut into short, thin strips

●  Synonyms: slit, lacerate

●  Example:We have to julienne potatoes to make chips.

Verbs That Start with J You Rarely Use

Are you ready to enrich your vocabulary list with J-verbs that are hardly used by most people? If yes then pick up your pen and handpick some verbs that will suit your style the most.

1. Jab

●  Definition: to poke or thrust

●  Synonyms: dig, poke, punch

●  Example: Robbers jabbed him in the ribs and ran away.

2. Jaunt

●  Definition: to go on a short journey for pleasure

●  Synonyms: travel, voyage, sail

●  Example: They were jaunting through the Himalayas.

3. Jaculate

●  Definition: to throw or hurl forward

●  Synonyms: launch, pitch, dash

●  Example: He jaculated the ball towards me.

4. Jawbone

●  Definition: to pressure someone to do something using your authority

●  Synonyms:compulsion, pressurize, influence

●  Example: Government can jawbone banks in lending more to new initiatives.

5. Judaize

●  Definition: to convert someone to Judaism

●  Synonyms: proselytize, evangelize, convert

●  Example: Some cultures were steadily Judaized.

6. Jampack

●  Definition: to crowd or pack to capacity

●  Synonyms: load, pack, fill

●  Example: The whole theatre was jampacked.

8. Jettison

●  Definition: to cast something aside or abandon it

●  Synonyms: abandon, discard, dump

●  Example: Two aircraft jettisoned their waste in the sea.

9. Jack

●  Definition: to steal or rob someone

●  Synonyms: mug, cheat, swindle

●  Example: They tried to jack someone but the police arrived on time.

10. Jolly

●  Definition: to encourage someone in a friendly way

●  Synonyms: persuade, coax, wheedle

●  Example: He jollied people with his more than impressive speech.

Positive Verbs That Start with J

As we have heard that positive verbs are those that describe an action that is not negated but actually occurs. Owing to this, we have compiled a separate list of positive verbs that start with J.

1. Jape

●  Definition: to joke, jest

●  Synonyms: pun, banter, kid

●  Example: He is always japing with this friends.

2. Jounce

●  Definition: to jolt or bounce

●  Synonyms: rebound, recoil, bounce

●  Example: Pit holes in the road made the car jounce wildly.

3. Jam

●  Definition: improvise with other musicians, especially in jazz

●  Synonyms: to play music

●  Example: He had the opportunity to jam with Atlanta blues musicians.

4. Jest

●  Definition: to speak jokingly

●  Synonyms: joke, crack, pun

●  Example: Everybody was jesting about Mike due to his dress.

5. Jewel

●  Definition: to adorn or equip with jewels

●  Synonyms: embellish, beautify adorn

●  Example: The necklace looked beautiful after jeweling.

6. Jig

●  Definition: to equip a factory with a jig or jigs

●  Synonyms: provide, supply or furnish with a jig

●  Example: The floor space was jigged and tooled to produce six aircraft per month.

7. Jingle

●  Definition: make or cause to make a light metallic ringing sound

●  Synonyms: jangle, ring, ding

●  Example: She made her bracelet jingle.

8. Joy

●  Definition: to rejoice

●  Synonyms: happiness, pleasure, delight

●  Example: I felt pity that I had ever joyed in his discomfort.

9. Jubilate

●  Definition: to show great happiness and joy

●  Synonyms: cheer, triumph, glory

●  Example: Sing and jubilate before the Almighty.

10. Join

●  Definition: to link or connect

●  Synonyms: connect, unite, affix

●  Example: The pipe was joined with a motor outlet.

Verbs That Start with J – Full List (105 words)

• Jab
• Jabber
• Jack
• Jacket
• Jackknife
• Jacklight
• Jackrabbit
• Jacobinize
• Jaculate
• Jade
• Jag
• Jagg
• Jail
• Jam
• Jamb
• Jampack
• Jangle
• Jant
• Japan
• Jape
• Jar
• Jarble
• Jargle
• Jargon
• Jasperize
• Jaunce
• Jaundice
• Jaunt
• Javelin
• Jaw
• Jawbone
• Jawn
• Jaywalk
• Jazz
• Jee
• Jeer
• Jell
• Jellify
• Jelly
• Jeopard
• Jeopardise
• Jeopardize
• Jeopardy
• Jerk
• Jest
• Jet
• Jettison
• Jib
• Jibe
• Jig
• Jilt
• Jimmy
• Jingle
• Jinx
• Jitter
• Jive
• Job
• Jockey
• Jog
• Joggle
• Join
• Joinder
• Joint
• Joke
• Jole
• Joll
• Jollify
• Jolly
• Jolt
• Josh
• Jostle
• Jot
• Jouk
• Joul
• Jounce
• Journal
• Journey
• Joust
• Jowl
• Joy
• Joyride
• Jubilate
• Judaize
• Judder
• Judge
• Judgment
• Judicable
• Jug
• Juggle
• Jugulate
• Juice
• Juke
• Julienne
• Jumble
• Jump
• Jump-start
• Jumpweld
• Junk
• Junketeer
• Justice
• Justify
• Justle
• Jut
• Juxtapose
• Juxtaposit

Final Thoughts on Verbs That Start with J

This list of verbs starting with J might not skyrocket your vocabulary, but your skills and efforts toward finding unfamiliar words and distinctive verbs will. Make sure to appraise yourself for all the struggles because one day these same struggles will enable you to create flawless sentences. We are sure these lists of verbs beginning with J and other letters will aid you in translating your thoughts into words.

If you are also familiar with some verbs that start with J which are not listed above, let us know in the comment section.

Ps. See also positive words that start with J, adjectives that start with J and nouns that start with J.