jerking
Adjective:
- Lacking a steady rhythm; characterized by abrupt, irregular movements: Describes something that moves or occurs in a sudden, unsteady, or spasmodic manner, without a smooth or consistent flow.
Noun:
- An abrupt, spasmodic movement: A sudden, quick, and often involuntary motion, typically involving a sharp pull or twitch.
Adjective:
- The jerking motion of the old bus made the ride very uncomfortable.
- He has a jerking, arrhythmic heartbeat that concerns the doctors.
Noun:
- A sudden jerking of the rope caused the bell to ring.
- The patient's arm was affected by uncontrollable jerkings.
"to be jerking": Used to describe the state of moving in a series of abrupt starts and stops.
- The engine was jerking and sputtering before it finally died.
"with a jerking motion": A phrase describing how an action is performed.
- She pulled the cord with a jerking motion to start the lawnmower.
Jerk (verb): To move with a quick, sharp, often involuntary motion.
- The car jerked forward when he released the clutch too quickly.
Jerk (noun): A quick, sharp, sudden movement; also, a foolish or rude person (slang).
- He gave the rope a sharp jerk.
- Don't be such a jerk! (slang usage, separate meaning)
Jerky (adjective): Characterized by jerks; moving in abrupt, irregular starts and stops.
- The video was jerky due to a slow internet connection.
- Spasmodic: Occurring or done in brief, irregular bursts.
- Convulsive: Involving violent, involuntary muscle contractions.
- Twitchy: Characterized by or prone to twitching.
Jerk around (slang, idiomatic): To treat someone unfairly, to waste someone's time, or to deceive.
- Stop jerking me around and give me a straight answer.
Jerk out: To pull or remove something with a sudden, sharp movement.
- He jerked the plug out of the socket.
Jerk someone's chain (idiomatic, slang): To tease, deceive, or annoy someone.
- Are you serious, or are you just jerking my chain?
In fits and starts / By fits and jerks: Progressing in an irregular, intermittent way.
- The project moved forward in fits and starts.
- lacking a steady rhythm
- an arrhythmic heartbeat
- an abrupt spasmodic movement