as in rough
marked by a series of sharp quick motions
filmed in a herky-jerky style that will give many moviegoers a headache
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of herky-jerky
That’s a bit surprising given his herky-jerky, all-joints-flying-at-you, cross-firing delivery.
—
Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 May 2025
Remember that live design collaboration suffered from maddening lag times and herky-jerky movements just a few short years ago.
—PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
But even if Trump’s tariffs ultimately end up being less harsh than feared, a worry hitting the market is that their herky-jerky rollout may by itself create enough nervousness to get U.S. households and businesses to freeze their spending, which would damage the economy.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2025
What better for the crafty, herky-jerky guard than a big man who can roll, pop and allow Brunson to play off the ball more because of his passing?
—James L. Edwards Iii, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
Lamar rapped with intense focus, nailing every bit of elegantly herky-jerky choreography.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2025
Experts agree mid-drive bikes typically deliver a less herky-jerky ride, because the motor assist is integrated into the pedal crank itself.
—IEEE Spectrum, 14 Apr. 2024
Judging by what Trump has said so far, and the herky-jerky way peace talks in Saudi Arabia have been rolled out, the president would be satisfied with a ceasefire that contained no guarantees of Ukrainian security should Putin later renege on the deal.
—Trudy Rubin, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2025
What better for the crafty, herky-jerky guard than a big man who can roll, pop and allow Brunson to play off the ball more because of his passing?
—James L. Edwards Iii, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 May 2025
Remember that live design collaboration suffered from maddening lag times and herky-jerky movements just a few short years ago.
—PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
But even if Trump’s tariffs ultimately end up being less harsh than feared, a worry hitting the market is that their herky-jerky rollout may by itself create enough nervousness to get U.S. households and businesses to freeze their spending, which would damage the economy.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2025
What better for the crafty, herky-jerky guard than a big man who can roll, pop and allow Brunson to play off the ball more because of his passing?
—James L. Edwards Iii, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
Lamar rapped with intense focus, nailing every bit of elegantly herky-jerky choreography.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2025
Experts agree mid-drive bikes typically deliver a less herky-jerky ride, because the motor assist is integrated into the pedal crank itself.
—IEEE Spectrum, 14 Apr. 2024
Judging by what Trump has said so far, and the herky-jerky way peace talks in Saudi Arabia have been rolled out, the president would be satisfied with a ceasefire that contained no guarantees of Ukrainian security should Putin later renege on the deal.
—Trudy Rubin, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2025
What better for the crafty, herky-jerky guard than a big man who can roll, pop and allow Brunson to play off the ball more because of his passing?
—James L. Edwards Iii, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herky-jerky
Adjective
-
If your skin is extremely dry and rough, however, the La Roche-Posay Body Moisturizer is rich in prebiotic thermal water, shea butter, and niacinamide is another one of Tookes’ recommendations.—
India Espy-Jones,
Essence,
2 June 2025
-
Cloudy skies, rough surf and limited battery life can all reduce their effectiveness.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
The American game was largely insular, coaching education uneven, and infrastructure limited.—
Lee Igel,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
-
Read More: The Healthiest Way to Clean Your House Check the base of the unit, too: Dirt can settle underneath, making the entire thing uneven, leading to performance issues and major repairs down the road, Drew says.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
Mine-Cart Madness really is that jerky, definitely look out for your back and neck.—
Mackenzie Schmidt,
People.com,
22 May 2025
-
No word yet on the number of types of jerky, flavors of kolaches, or length of the barbecue counter.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Frank Morris and brothers Clarence and John Anglin, all in their 30s, shimmied with a homemade raft through hidden holes in their cell walls, climbed through a ventilation duct onto the roof and shoved off from the island fortress into the freezing, choppy waters of San Francisco Bay.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
28 May 2025
-
Just a couple of weeks after showing up at the Met Gala in a shockingly short hairstyle, Kidman is serving up a saturated, asymmetrical bob with uneven baby bangs and a stick-straight, choppy look brought to fruition by hairstylist Evanie Frausto.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
If that wasn’t enough, the final day of the 78th edition of the French Riviera showcase got off to a bumpy start, too, with a mass power outage across the region, which brought almost everything to a halt.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
24 May 2025
-
Everyone agrees, though, that his professional career got off to a bumpy start.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Herky-jerky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herky-jerky. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share