as in rough
marked by a series of sharp quick motions
filmed in a herky-jerky style that will give many moviegoers a headache
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of herky-jerky
In a throwback to the warts-and-all silliness of the family’s legendary MTV reality show, The Osbournes, Coming Home appears to lean into the domestic comedy of the Osbourne clan, opening with a jittery Ozzy begging Sharon to stop driving in a herky-jerky manner.
—
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025
The lineup of dishes and sauces and combos verges on overwhelming; they’re presented in a mix of typefaces and colors, and punctuated by herky-jerky photo animations—a waving hand holding a soft-serve twist, spidery fingers with brass nail extensions used in the traditional Thai dance Fawn Leb.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
Porter is the flashier option—herky-jerky handle, can get his own shot, and takes some of the scoring load off Antetokounmpo.
—Brian Sampson, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
On Sushi, vivid splashes of R&B sleekness coexist with rap interludes, herky-jerky dance rhythms, and even a bit of jazzy trumpeting.
—EW.com, 13 Aug. 2025
His smooth, yet herky-jerky style has had defenses guessing and gasping all season.
—Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 11 June 2025
That’s a bit surprising given his herky-jerky, all-joints-flying-at-you, cross-firing delivery.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 May 2025
Remember that live design collaboration suffered from maddening lag times and herky-jerky movements just a few short years ago.
—PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
But even if Trump’s tariffs ultimately end up being less harsh than feared, a worry hitting the market is that their herky-jerky rollout may by itself create enough nervousness to get U.S. households and businesses to freeze their spending, which would damage the economy.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2025
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025
The lineup of dishes and sauces and combos verges on overwhelming; they’re presented in a mix of typefaces and colors, and punctuated by herky-jerky photo animations—a waving hand holding a soft-serve twist, spidery fingers with brass nail extensions used in the traditional Thai dance Fawn Leb.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
Porter is the flashier option—herky-jerky handle, can get his own shot, and takes some of the scoring load off Antetokounmpo.
—Brian Sampson, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
On Sushi, vivid splashes of R&B sleekness coexist with rap interludes, herky-jerky dance rhythms, and even a bit of jazzy trumpeting.
—EW.com, 13 Aug. 2025
His smooth, yet herky-jerky style has had defenses guessing and gasping all season.
—Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 11 June 2025
That’s a bit surprising given his herky-jerky, all-joints-flying-at-you, cross-firing delivery.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 May 2025
Remember that live design collaboration suffered from maddening lag times and herky-jerky movements just a few short years ago.
—PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
But even if Trump’s tariffs ultimately end up being less harsh than feared, a worry hitting the market is that their herky-jerky rollout may by itself create enough nervousness to get U.S. households and businesses to freeze their spending, which would damage the economy.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herky-jerky
Adjective
-
So the idea of him playing someone who’s a little rougher and grittier and just completely relentless appealed to him.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Oct. 2025
-
This medium-sized toad has large reddish-brown eyes and a rough skin texture.—
Real-Time News team,
Miami Herald,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The piece is crafted from solid poplar wood, finished with a white wash, and sits on top of sturdy iron legs, which have adjustable levels to accommodate uneven floors or area rugs.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Broader trends suggest an uneven labor market, with professions like health care continuing to thrive while other fields lag, Stahle said.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Then, uncontrolled, jerky movements develop as well as vision loss, dementia, and seizures.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Powe still comes by once a week to drop off snacks for kids in the hotel — chips, cookies, jerky, fruit snacks, Little Debbie’s, whatever is on sale — shelling out about $100 or more of her own money every week doing so.—
Josh Wood,
The Courier-Journal,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The episodes feel choppy, hardly letting anything land, yet still feeling slow.—
Grace Byron,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Its elevation crest is unlike most venues, and the road-course extensions feel a bit more choppy than the turns from the main oval.—
Shane Connuck
October 3,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The Roval always provides a challenge Many parts of the track are particularly bumpy.—
Shane Connuck
October 3,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Oct. 2025
-
There are other Mets coaches whose jobs could certainly be in question this winter, most notably hitting coach Eric Chavez, but Sherlock became the first to officially move on after a bumpy season.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Herky-jerky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herky-jerky. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share