knee-jerk

1 of 2

adjective

ˈnē-ˌjərk How to pronounce knee-jerk (audio)
-ˈjərk
: readily predictable : automatic
knee-jerk reactions
also, disapproving : reacting in a readily predictable way
The man was such a bleeding-heart knee-jerk liberal that you could predict the rest of the column after reading the first sentence. Andrew M. Greeley

knee jerk

2 of 2

noun

: an involuntary forward kick produced by a light blow on the tendon below the patella

Examples of knee-jerk in a Sentence

Adjective a colleague known for her knee-jerk rejection of any proposal that she didn't originate
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adjective
Most people don’t actually think this through when making knee-jerk reactions based on emotions. Steve Booren, The Denver Post, 20 Oct. 2024 Most importantly, never let yourself be rushed into making a knee-jerk reaction, no matter how much urgency is injected into a conversation. Davey Winder, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
Noun
The thing that keeps you from just acting out on your initial knee jerk reaction and from just acting impulsively. Alaa Elassar, CNN, 24 July 2023 One of the most common knee jerk reactions is to move assets to cash. Q.ai - Powering A Personal Wealth Movement, Forbes, 5 May 2023 See all Example Sentences for knee-jerk 

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1958, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1849, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of knee-jerk was in 1849

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near knee-jerk

Cite this Entry

“Knee-jerk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knee-jerk. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

knee-jerk

1 of 2 adjective
ˈnē-ˌjərk
: readily predictable : automatic
a knee-jerk reaction to the proposal

knee jerk

2 of 2 noun
: an involuntary forward kick produced by a light blow on the tendon below the kneecap

Medical Definition

knee jerk

noun
: an involuntary forward jerk or kick produced by a light blow or sudden strain upon the patellar tendon of the knee that causes a reflex contraction of the quadriceps muscle

called also patellar reflex

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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