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Glite Dictionary
🤖 Not smooth 🥩 Dried meat
jerky

jerky

48 4.3
Moving in sudden, uneven ways that are not smooth
  • adjective
  • /ˈdʒɜrki/
translation icon : brusco
  • Don't make any quick, jerky movements or you might disconnect it.
  • jerky movement
  • sudden, jerky movement

My game is, is really herky jerky and it's and it's and it's built off of moving my defender and then counter it quick.

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Examples

  • My right arm was considerably more active and began to twitch with larger, jerky movements and greater frequency.

    Academic text (2000)

  • When I move this one here, it's a little bit jerky but some of them are not.

  • Objects in the publishing mirror are not as jerky as they appear.

    Academic text (2009)

  • Some persons in a possessed state made jerky movements with their arms and legs.

    Academic text (1994)

  • It's lack of balance and unsteady or jerky gait.

    Carnage (2011)

  • Her voice was squeaky, jerky with pain, a far cry from the liquid tones I remembered.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Truman stood abruptly and crossed the room with the jerky movements of an automaton.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • The video seemed a bit jerky as the camera moved quickly around the room.

  • His jerky movements made it hard for the audience to follow his dance routine.

  • After taking the steep turn, the car's motion became jerky and unpleasant.

Synonyms

bumpy
vsjerky
68 1.0

A surface or movement that is not smooth and has small raised parts

refers to uneven motion generally, not specifically to bumps
choppy
vsjerky
7 5.0

Speech or writing that has short parts and does not flow smoothly

is limited to physical sudden uneven movement rather than broader uses
jumpy
vsjerky
4 3.9

Moving in sudden small jumps instead of smoothly

covers irregular motion broadly rather than emphasising startle quality
herky
vsjerky
  • Informal
1 9.9

Moving in sudden, awkward jerks

is neutral about awkwardness and focuses on uneven motion itself
jolty
vsjerky
1 7.4

Moving with sudden, uneven bumps that make you feel unsteady

describes sudden uneven movement more neutrally without the sharpness
jerkish
vsjerky
8.0

Moving in short, sudden, uneven movements

is the general label for sudden uneven movement rather than this variant
jiggety
vsjerky
  • UK
9.3

Lively and bouncy in a way that looks jerky

is similar but lacks the lively or bouncy quality
flicky
vsjerky
7.7

Moving in quick, light jerks

implies uneven movement generally rather than specifically light quick motions
ratchety
vsjerky
9.1

Making harsh rattling noises and moving in a jerky way

focuses on movement irregularity without the noisy mechanical sense
whiplashy
vsjerky
8.2

A sudden, sharp jerk in the neck or body that you feel after a quick move

describes uneven motion without stressing sharp whiplike force
saltatory
vsjerky
  • Specialized
9.9

Happening in sudden jumps instead of slowly

covers irregular movement without the formal jump or leap sense

Compounds

beef jerky
20 2.0

A snack of dried salty beef strips

How Smooth

smooth
204 1.0
steady
304 2.0
choppy
7 5.0
jerky
48 4.3
spasmodic
2 8.1

Surface Forms

jerky positive

Morphology

jerky = jerk (transparent) = jerk + y

The adjective is regularly formed from the noun 'jerk' plus '-y' to mean 'full of jerks' or 'characterized by jerks'.

Etymology

Jerky comes from the verb jerk, which means 'to pull or move suddenly'. So, something jerky moves in short, uneven bursts and is not smooth.