JERK Synonyms: 199 Similar and Opposite Words

jerk 1 of 2

noun

ˈjərk

Definition of jerk

as in bastard

a person whose behavior is offensive to others his constant rudeness and insensitivity made everyone think he was a real jerk

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in tug

the act or an instance of applying force on something so that it moves in the direction of the force guided the rowboat with a jerk of the rope

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

jerk

2 of 2

verb

as in to yank

to move or cause to move with a sharp quick motion I jerked to one side to avoid getting hit jerked the leash to get the dog's attention

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as in to twitch

to make jerky or restless movements you've got to quit jerking, or the barber will nick you by accident

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to shake

to make a series of small irregular or violent movements the car jerked with every shift of the gear

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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 jerk

Noun

In late August, Mayor Mamdani hosted a celebration of Caribbean culture at Gracie Mansion with plenty of patties and jerk chicken to go around. — Reshma B, VIBE.com, 7 Sep. 2026 The Ars OpenForum is a place for readers to ask questions, compare notes, argue (without being jerks to each other), and go down all sorts of rabbit holes. — Eric Bangeman, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026

Verb

Somewhere nearby, in a dark office, an eavesdropping oreja has just jerked to attention on his hard little chair. — Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026 Henry drove off and sped up to 45 mph before jerking the car. — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for jerk

Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerk

Noun

Lamm told TechCrunch that conventional breeding can produce dogs with poor eyesight or genetic predispositions to cancer.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
Cadaver dogs also alerted to the scent of a corpse in the vehicle.

— Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of dog

Noun

Nothing about Capra is weirder, to be honest, than the way in which, from one film of his to the next, suicide tugs at our sleeve.

— Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
The tug was attacked in the Gulf of Oman, south of the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which has faced blockades and attacks in recent months.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of tug

Noun

That’s not to jinx the master clown who’s currently doddering around in Argan’s shoes on Broadway.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
In several descriptions of these amateur events, including some of his own, Hemingway sounds less like a matador than a rodeo clown.

— Stephen Bates, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of clown

Noun

Among the elements biology has to work with, oxygen exerts the strongest pull.

— Rowan Jacobsen, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Jamie Lee Curtis, no stranger to a scream, then took the stage to reflect on the enduring pull of the horror genre and spotlight the museum’s newest exhibition, The Horror Show.

— Freya Drohan, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of pull

Verb

The insurrection drew immediate and obvious parallels to the United States, which, during much of the past decade, has lurched alongside Brazil through a strange hall of mirrors.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026
Hop on the #6 double-decker from Central to Stanley beach, which lurches around Hong Kong Island's mountainous southern South China Sea coast (sit upstairs on the right-hand side).

— Lee Cobaj, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026