herky-jerky
Americanadjective
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
Unlike running or my herky-jerky stints on the Nordic Machine strider in the basement, there was no specter of calories.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2024
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
After waiting a few minutes to regain my composure I resumed my herky-jerky passage to the far side of the ladder.
From "Into Thin Air" 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.
