Synonyms of herky-jerky

herky-jerky

adjective

ˈhər-kē-ˈjər-kē 

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

• rough
• uneven
• jerky
• choppy
• bumpy
• unsteady
• erratic
• spastic
• jouncy
• spasmodic
• fitful
• irregular
• jagged
• ragged

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• smooth
• steady
• calm
• still
• placid

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of herky-jerky

The way that life unfolds in herky-jerky, unpredictable rhythms informs the experimental approach that Dijon, a 33-year-old producer-singer, takes to R&B. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025

If the segues in Scene don’t feel haphazard and herky-jerky, this is in no small part because of the role addiction plays as connective tissue between sections, a kind of leitmotif. — Nick Pinkerton, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025

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