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Synonyms

herky-jerky

American  
[hur-kee-jur-kee] / ˈhɜr kiˈdʒɜr ki /

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.

Etymology

Origin of herky-jerky

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

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.

But the herky-jerky song-and-dance sequences are wild, a potent reminder that America has long been the land of the free and the home of the rave.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 18, 2025

The herky-jerky ride further damaged the bones, but the specimen was intact enough that the scientists felt comfortable formally classifying it.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 3, 2024

It's a deliciously strange, herky-jerky pop number, orchestrated by synth bassoons and merry-go-round organs.

From BBC • Feb. 12, 2024

“When they see that movement, that herky-jerky movement that rodents have, I mean, that’s like passing by the McDonald’s arches,” Eyring said.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 3, 2024

The siren song of the void puts you on edge; it makes your movements tentative, clumsy, herky-jerky.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

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.