herky-jerky

[ hur-kee-jur-kee ]
See synonyms for herky-jerky on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. progressing in a fitfully jerky or irregular manner: He hadn’t used a gearshift in years, so the ride home was a bit herky-jerky.

Origin of herky-jerky

1
First recorded in 1955–60; rhyming compound based on jerk1, -y1

Words Nearby herky-jerky

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use herky-jerky in a sentence

  • herky-jerky very likely had the cowboy's skill at finding tracks, but I left few traces of my presence on that long slope.

    The Young Forester | Zane Grey
  • herky-jerky's method of broiling a piece of venison at the end of a stick solved the problem of cooking.

    The Young Forester | Zane Grey