jerkiness

1 6.7

A series of sudden, rough stops and starts that make movement uneven

noun
/ˈdʒɜrkɪnɪs/

: movimiento brusco

She swerved around another car, and the jerkiness of the motion woke him up.

There's nothing you can do on your side to change their jerkiness, so proceed accordingly.

Examples

There's nothing you can do on your side to change their jerkiness, so proceed accordingly.

The Minimalists
That may also provide some jerkiness to the housing recovery.
Now, the clarity of his jerkiness is so much more evident to all.

Blog text (34)
Users complained about intermittent jerkiness as a result of unreliable sonar sensor readings.

Academic text (2000)
The jerkiness in the car's steering made it difficult to drive smoothly on the highway.
As the video played, the sudden jerkiness in the animation caused viewers to lose focus.
Her movements had a certain jerkiness, reflecting her nervousness during the presentation.

Synonyms

stutter

vsjerkiness

Specialized

2 4.6

A short pause in audio or video that makes playback jump

is general abrupt motion rather than short playback interruptions

unsteadiness

vsjerkiness

1 5.1

A lack of balance or firm control that causes shaking

is specifically about abrupt, spasmodic motion rather than general instability

judder

vsjerkiness

Specialized

1 8.6

A jerky movement in video that makes motion look uneven

is the broad state of abrupt, spasmodic movement not only display faults

fitfulness

vsjerkiness

7.3

Happening in short, irregular periods that start and stop

is sudden and abrupt rather than long irregular bursts

choppiness

vsjerkiness

Specialized

5.3

Video or animation that moves in short, sudden jumps

is the general quality of abrupt, irregular movement beyond video

wiggliness

vsjerkiness

6.5

A way something moves with small quick side-to-side or back-and-forth motions

is broader abrupt or spasmodic movement beyond small side to side motion

Antonyms

smoothness

1 2.6

How something works without pauses or problems

How Jerky

jerkiness

1 6.7

unevenness

1 5.1

smoothness

1 2.6

Surface Forms

jerkiness singular

jerkinesses plural

Morphology

jerkiness = jerky (transparent) = jerk + y + ness

Formed by standard adjective + -ness nominalization (jerky -> jerkiness); the meaning is directly derived from 'jerky'.

Etymology

Jerkiness comes from the common verb jerk, which means 'a sudden pull' or 'sharp movement', plus the ending -ness meaning 'state or quality'. So jerkiness is the state of sudden, uneven, or stopping-and-starting movement, which is why we use it for a rough ride, a stiff walk, or a choppy film.