jerky

1 of 3

adjective

ˈjər-kē 

jerkier; jerkiest

1

a

: moving along with or marked by fits and starts

b

: characterized by abrupt transitions

2

: inane, foolish

jerkily

ˈjər-kə-lē 

adverb

jerkiness

ˈjər-kē-nəs 

noun

jerky

2 of 3

noun (1)

jer·​ky ˈjər-kē 

: jerked meat

jerkiness

3 of 3

noun (2)

jerk·​i·​ness -kēnə̇s 

-kin-

plural -es

: the quality or state of being jerky

Synonyms of jerky

Adjective

• rough
• uneven
• choppy

Examples of jerky in a Sentence

Adjective

The movie was jerky and hard to watch.

made jerky progress walking with the new crutches

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

What began as an effort by namesake founder Jack Link to turn his great-grandfather’s jerky recipe into a livelihood has grown into a global business selling products in more than 55 countries. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 31 May 2026

The ash no longer remembers what caused the fire., dated 2026, includes greyish paintings, textiles showing people breaking free from chains, a room filled mostly with rubble, a jerky machine, and altar-like niches with barred windows. — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 12 May 2026

Noun

There were cartoon beavers everywhere, brisket sandwiches far better than any gas station should be able to produce, and a bar of jerky (and a wall of jerky next to it for the impatient or antisocial). — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 June 2026

This is fast enough for the robot to react to environmental changes in real time without making its motions feel jerky or unnatural. — Lee-Lean Shu, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

jerk entry 2 + -y entry 1

Noun (1)

borrowed from American Spanish charqui (borrowed from southern Peruvian Quechua ch'arki), conformed to jerk entry 4 and earlier jerked

First Known Use

Adjective

1670, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (1)

1850, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing jerky

• herky-jerky

Rhymes for jerky

• murky
• perky
• quirky
• turki

Kids Definition

jerky

1 of 2 noun

jer·​ky

ˈjər-kē

: jerked meat

jerky

2 of 2 adjective

ˈjər-kē

jerkier; jerkiest

1

: marked by jerks

a jerky ride on a dirt road

2

: stupid, foolish

jerkily

-kə-lē

adverb

jerkiness

-kē-nəs

noun

Etymology

Noun

from Spanish charqui "jerky," from Quechua ch'arki

Adjective

jerk (noun) and -y (adjective suffix)