whiplashy

8.2

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

adjective
/ˈwɪplæʃi/

: repentino

She felt a whiplashy pain in her neck after the accident.

Examples

The roller coaster's sharp turns made everyone feel whiplashy by the end.
The car made a whiplashy turn at the corner.
After the bumpy flight, I felt a bit whiplashy getting off the plane.
His storytelling style can be whiplashy, jumping rapidly between topics.
The roller coaster's sharp turns made everyone feel whiplashy by the end.
His storytelling style can be whiplashy, jumping rapidly between topics.
The car made a whiplashy turn, causing the passengers to brace themselves.

Synonyms

bumpy

vswhiplashy

68 1.0

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

is focused on sudden sharp snaps rather than general many small rises

jerky

vswhiplashy

48 4.3

Moving in sudden, uneven ways that are not smooth

is more sharply whipping and resembles a quick harsh snapping motion

jumpy

vswhiplashy

4 3.9

Moving in sudden small jumps instead of smoothly

is more about a sharp whipping movement than reactive startle motions

herky

vswhiplashy

Informal

1 9.9

Moving in sudden, awkward jerks

is more like a quick sharp whipping motion than mere awkward movement

jolty

vswhiplashy

1 7.4

Moving with sudden, uneven bumps that make you feel unsteady

is more like a fast whipping action rather than irregular harsh shaking

jerkish

vswhiplashy

8.0

Moving in short, sudden, uneven movements

is more like a rapid whipping action rather than just choppy movement

jolting

vswhiplashy

5.0

Causing a sudden rough movement or shock

is more about a fast whipping motion than general rough shaking

spasmic

vswhiplashy

7.9

Happening in sudden short uncontrolled movements or bursts

is more about an external sharp whipping motion than internal muscle bursts

Antonyms

smooth

204 1.0

Moving or happening in an even, easy way without sudden problems

to steady

41 3.4

To make yourself or something stop moving

How Jerky

convulsive

1 8.0

whiplashy

8.2

jolting

5.0

jerky

48 4.3

Surface Forms

whiplashy positive

Morphology

whiplashy = whiplash (transparent) = whiplash + y

The adjective is formed by the regular addition of '-y' to the noun 'whiplash', so the meaning 'having the quality of or resembling whiplash' is directly predictable.

Etymology

Whiplashy comes from whiplash, made of whip ('a quick strike') and lash ('a sudden, strong move'), and the ending -y meaning 'having the quality of'. So whiplashy describes something that feels sudden, sharp, or jerky, like the quick snap of a whip.