choppy
Americanadjective
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(of the sea, a lake, etc.) forming short, irregular, broken waves.
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(of the wind) shifting or changing suddenly or irregularly; variable.
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uneven in style or quality or characterized by poorly related parts.
The book was a choppy first novel.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of choppy
Explanation
When water is choppy, it's wind-blown and rippling with waves. It's tricky for a beginner to sail in a choppy lake. Choppy usually describes what happens to the surface of a body of water during a storm. Strong wind blowing across a bay, for example, turns the water choppy and rough. Something with a jerky, abrupt way of moving or flowing is also choppy, whether it's a piece of music or a filmed scene in a movie. In the 1600s, a stormy sea was described as chopping, which had changed to choppy by about 1830.
Vocabulary lists containing choppy
Rick
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Kareem Between
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Memory-makers SK Hynix and Micron Technology both topped $1 trillion in market capitalization, though broader equity trading in Asia was choppy Wednesday.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026
Without the star point guard, the Lakers could confidently turn to James to steer them through choppy waters.
From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2026
The furniture retailer missed first-quarter earnings estimates, though CEO Niraj Shah asserted the company had outperformed the broader home furnishing category amid “a choppy start to the year.”
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
The company has executed well through recent choppy markets, “controlling costs, expanding margins, and investing in moat-strengthening capabilities,” says Baird analyst Dave Manthey.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
News helicopters buzzed above the choppy waters as the men set out in their canoe.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
