as in rough
marked by a series of sharp quick motions
filmed in a herky-jerky style that will give many moviegoers a headache
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Recent Examples of herky-jerky
Watching Eddie Redmayne do his herky-jerky dance, reaching out to the camera like a William Castle 3-D movie.
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Vulture Editors, Vulture, 17 June 2024
Hong Kong martial arts cinema legend Sammo Hung brought jiangshi to the screen with 1980’s Encounters of the Spooky Kind, a silly kung fu horror-comedy that features a hilarious set piece as Hung comically evades a hopping corpse’s herky-jerky attacks.
—James Grebey, TIME, 18 Oct. 2024
There’s a lot of herky-jerky stopping and starting, but when Jenn gets behind the wheel, things are relatively smooth.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 23 July 2024
The herky-jerky, on-and-off annual decision-making stops us from spending money efficiently in the way that the taxpayer expects.
—Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2015
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
While there are some harder throwers in the system, the Rangers have been impressed by the 25-year old’s fastball-slider combination, a herky-jerky delivery and a fastball that appears to be on a jet stream moving up to the batter’s eyes.
—Evan Grant, Dallas News, 31 May 2023
Today just seemed a little herky-jerky, a little out of character, out of tempo and rhythm.
—Evan Grant, Dallas News, 22 Apr. 2023
Showtime’s Yellowjackets, which premieres its second season opposite the fourth and final season of Succession, is a series with herky-jerky mechanics.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2023
Vulture Editors, Vulture, 17 June 2024
Hong Kong martial arts cinema legend Sammo Hung brought jiangshi to the screen with 1980’s Encounters of the Spooky Kind, a silly kung fu horror-comedy that features a hilarious set piece as Hung comically evades a hopping corpse’s herky-jerky attacks.
—James Grebey, TIME, 18 Oct. 2024
There’s a lot of herky-jerky stopping and starting, but when Jenn gets behind the wheel, things are relatively smooth.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 23 July 2024
The herky-jerky, on-and-off annual decision-making stops us from spending money efficiently in the way that the taxpayer expects.
—Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2015
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
While there are some harder throwers in the system, the Rangers have been impressed by the 25-year old’s fastball-slider combination, a herky-jerky delivery and a fastball that appears to be on a jet stream moving up to the batter’s eyes.
—Evan Grant, Dallas News, 31 May 2023
Today just seemed a little herky-jerky, a little out of character, out of tempo and rhythm.
—Evan Grant, Dallas News, 22 Apr. 2023
Showtime’s Yellowjackets, which premieres its second season opposite the fourth and final season of Succession, is a series with herky-jerky mechanics.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herky-jerky
Adjective
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Although the name might conjure a place that's a little rough around the edges, don't be fooled—the food at Stinky's is top notch, and the live music is not to be missed.Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 9 Jan. 2025
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Battling high winds and rough seas, the ship came perilously close to running aground on rocky shores.David Nikel, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But the junior point guard has had an uneven transition.Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 11 Jan. 2025
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Since this type of coating has an uneven texture, the bath mat may wear out faster than other options.Moriah Mason, Southern Living, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The video was mostly crisp, but movement was sometimes a bit jerky, and fast-moving subjects can get blurry.Simon Hill, WIRED, 3 Jan. 2025
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The additional villains distract from what seems to be a meditation on masculinity, and the special effects are jerky and ludicrous, like a fistfight between Kraven and The Rhino — somehow still wearing pants — that prompted some laughter at a recent screening.Mark Kennedy, Boston Herald, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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At a key turning point in his '80s stardom, Rob Lowe set his sights beyond the silver screen — into the choppy waters of yacht rock.Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 11 Jan. 2025
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Sunny apple tv+ Swagger Year: 2021–present Length: 1 season, 10 episodes Creator: Reggie Rock Bythewood Swagger is the most underrated drama on Apple, a heartfelt and genuine family drama about a young man trying to navigate the choppy waters of potential sports superstardom.Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Traveling to Patagonia National Park, a 650,000-acre expanse in southern Chile, requires a bumpy drive—of up to five hours—along a largely unpaved road from the nearest commercial airport, in Balmaceda.Mary Holland, airmail.news, 11 Jan. 2025
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But that wasn't the only bumpy ride of his past few years.Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 5 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near herky-jerky
Cite this Entry
“Herky-jerky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herky-jerky. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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