View synonyms for herky-jerky

herky-jerky

[ hur-kee-jur-kee ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

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.

First recorded in 1955–60; rhyming compound based on jerk ¹, -y ¹

You, too, will be zipping along to the angular guitars and zigzagging, herky-jerky vocals.

It was superficial and jumpy and herky-jerky, bopping all over the place.

When I took out my little case and showed the fishing-line, Herky-Jerky said he would find me some bait.

I felt the air and the light, and opened my eyes to see Herky-Jerky hauling away on the rope.

It was a log of firewood, and in one end stuck the big knife which Herky-Jerky used to cut meat.

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

Herky-Jerky's method of broiling a piece of venison at the end of a stick solved the problem of cooking.

April 23, 2024inveterate

[in-vet-er-it ]

Start each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!

By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.

Browse