Jerk

Definition: Jerk

Jerk

Noun

1. A dull stupid fatuous person.

2. An abrupt spasmodic movement.

3. (mechanics) the rate of change of velocity.

4. A sudden abrupt pull.

Verb

1. Pull, or move with a sudden movement; "He turned the handle and jerked the door open..".

2. Move with abrupt, seemingly uncontrolled motions; "The patient's legs were jerkings".

3. Make an uncontrolled, short, jerky motion; "his face is twitching".

4. Jump vertically, with legs stiff and back arched, as of horses.

5. Throw or toss with a quick motion; "flick a piece of paper across the table"; "jerk his head".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

"Jerk" is a name that signifies or is derived from: "ever", "a ruler".

Date "jerk" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1615. (references)

Aerospace

Multilingual Slang

Transportation

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Synonyms: Jerk

Agitation

Noun: agitation, stir, tremor, shake, ripple, jog, jolt, jar, jerk, shock, succussion, trepidation, quiver, quaver, dance; quassation; shuffling c. Verb: twitter, flicker, flutter.

Agitate, shake, convulse, toss, tumble, bandy, wield, brandish, flap, flourish, whisk, jerk, hitch, jolt; jog, joggle, jostle, buffet, hustle, disturb, stir, shake up, churn, jounce, wallop, whip, vellicate.

Ignoramus

Moron, imbecile, idiot; fool, jerk, nincompoop,moron, imbecile, idiot; fool, jerk, nincompoop, asshole.

Regression

Wrench, jerk, twitch, touse; yank.

Verb: propel, project, throw, fling, cast, pitch, chuck, toss, jerk, heave, shy, hurl; flirt, fillip.

Revolution

Jump, leap, plunge, jerk, start, transilience; explosion; spasm, convulsion, throe, revulsion; storm, earthquake, cataclysm.

Sexuality

Masturbate, jerk off, jack off, play with oneself.

Crosswords: Jerk

French (jerk), Frisian (drake), Spanish (letter).

The President must think I'm a third-rate jerk. (The American President; writing credit: Aaron Sorkin.)

It's Ok, I know the guy. He's a jerk! (Beverly Hills Cop II; writing credit: Eddie Murphy; Robert D. Wachs)

Well, I still jerk off manually (The Big Lebowski; writing credit: Ethan Coen; Joel Coen)

If you're gonna jerk off, why don't you just do it at home with a moist towel (Good Will Hunting; writing credit: Matt Damon; Ben Affleck)

you know it takes a little time to find that out. And you, you sick of some jerk shoving you head down the toilet (Donnie Darko; writing credit: Richard Kelly)

Cause the teacher's a jerk, he must think I'm a fool ("The Message"; performing artist: Grandmaster Flash)

Till hips jerk and double time the boy next door's a freak (So Fresh, So Clean; performing artist: Outkast)

Jerk chicken on the grill, so make the champagne pour (Dance & Shout; performing artist: Shaggy)

But your teacher preaches class like you're some kind of jerk ("Fight for Your Right (to Party)"; performing artist: The Beastie Boys)

The 500 Pound Jerk (1973)

Jerk � Istambul (1967)

Zerk the Jerk (1985)

The Jerk (1979)

Jerk Out (performing artist: The Time)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• Ditch That Jerk : Dealing With Men Who Control and Hurt Women (reference)

• Send This Jerk the Bedbug Letter: How Companies, Politicians, and the Mass Media Deal With Complaints and How to Be a More Effective Complainer (reference)

• A Jerk on One End (Library of Contemporary Thought (Los Angeles, Calif.).) [UNABRIDGED] (reference)

• Diary of a 1st Class Jerk (reference)

• How To Be a Jerk In Bristol Bay (reference)

  (more book examples)

Theater & Movies

• Jerk of All Trades (reference)

• The Jerk (reference)

• My Dad Is a Jerk (reference)

  (more DVD examples; more video examples)

Music

• Jerk Off [IMPORT] (reference)

• Jerk & Twine Time (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

"Soda jerk" passing ice cream soda between two soda fountains] / staff p. Credit: Library of Congress; photo by Alan Fisher..

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

"You're a jerk, Dent," it said simply.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

When we switch into REM sleep, our breathing becomes more rapid, irregular, and shallow, our eyes jerk rapidly in various directions, and our limb muscles become temporarily paralyzed. (references)

In some people, myoclonic jerks occur in only a part of the body, such as the legs, with all the muscles in that part being involved in each jerk. Reticular reflex myoclonus can be triggered by either a voluntary movement or an external stimulus. (references)

Travel

Jamaica

Some of the most popular Jamaican dishes are: rice and beans; ackee and salt fish; patties (meat-filled pastries); jerk chicken; curried goat; and mackerel rundown. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Expressions using "jerk": a jerk with the elbow ♦ clean and jerk ♦ get jerk ♦ give a jerk ♦ jerk away ♦ jerk back ♦ jerk off ♦ jerk oneself free ♦ jerk out ♦ jerk out of ♦ jerk up ♦ knee jerk ♦ Knee jerk liberal ♦ Knee jerk reaction ♦ physical jerk ♦ put a jerk in it ♦ soda jerk ♦ with a jerk. Additional references.

Beginning with "jerk": jerk-off, jerk-offs.

Ending with "jerk": knee-jerk.

Containing "jerk": knee-jerk reaction, knee-jerk reflex, who-is-this-jerk-and-why-am-i-married-to-him.

Albanian

troshitje (jolt, tossing), tërheqje (affinity, allurement, appeal, appetence, appetency, attraction, attractiveness, crush, draw, drawing, enchantment, enticement, haul, lure, magnetization, pull, pullback, recall, recession, recoil, retirement, retraction, retreat, revocation, strain, stretch, tow, traction, tug, withdrawal), tërheq (allure, appeal, arrest, attract, bewitch, call attention to, capture, catch, charm, daggle, dangle, decoy, drag, draggle, draw, draw out, engage, entice, fetch, fix, haul, heave, invite, lure, pluck, prepossess, pull, pull out, recall, retract, revoke, stretch, take back, tow, tug, web, withdraw), shkul (deracinate, drag out, extort, extract, grub, hank, pluck, pull, pull out, rip out, root up, skein, tear, tear down, tweak, wring, yank), përpjetë (uphill, upward, upwards), lëviz me hope (bump), hov (Ardor, ardour, burst, dash, elan, glow, hop, hunch, run up, spasm), hedhje (Bob, buck, cast, chuck, dart, dash, disposal, drop, fling, flirt, hop, hurl, launch, leap, lunge, lurch, pitch, pounce, precipitation, projection, put, skip, throw, throwing, toss), dridhje (didder, dither, fibrillation, flicker, flickering, flutter, jarring, palpitation, pulse, quake, quiver, shake, shaking, shiver, shudder, throb, tremble, trembling, tremolo, tremor, twitch, vibrancy, vibration). (various references)

Arabic 

‏هزة (concussion, jolt, jolting, shake, shock, wag), ‏هز عنيف, ‏قدد اللحم, ‏غبي (asinine, dense, dick, dim witted, drip, dull, dullard, empty headed, fathead, lacking, lunatic, moronic, opaque, patsy, plonker, sap, slow witted, soppy, stupid, thick, thick-headed, thickish, thick-witted, tomfool, twerp, uncivil, unintelligent, wooden), ‏تلعثم (falter, fumble, gibber, halt, hem, hum and haw, stammer, stumble, stutter, trip), ‏إهتز (balance, pounce, quake, quiver, rock, shake, shiver, shook, shudder, swing, thrill, throb, toss, tremble, vibrate, wag, waggle), ‏إرتعاش عصبي, ‏إرتعش (be shocked, bicker, flutter, quake, quaver, quiver, shake, shiver, shudder, thrill, tingle, tremble, twitch, waver, wobble), ‏إرتجاج (jolting, shake, shaking, shudder), ‏أحمق (ass, barmy, berk, bonkers, brutish, childish, chuckle-head, chump, cuckoo, daft, empty, empty headed, fantastic, fat, fathead, fatuous, foolish, footless, goofy, goon, haywire, idiotic, impolitic, imprudent, indiscreet, inept, injudicious, insensate, lemon, mad, meaningless, nit, nitwit, nonsensical, numskull, ornery, oyster, perverse, pointless, prat, screwball, senseless, sod, stupid, unwise, vacant, wacky, weak, weak-minded, whacky, witless, wood-headed, zany), ‏رعشة (shiver, shudder, stir, thrill, tremble), ‏رجة (concussion, shake, shock), ‏شخص حمار. (various references)

Bulgarian 

тласкам (dash, drive, fillip, guide, hustle, impact, impel, propel, push, thrust), дръпвам (hitch, pull, pull at, pull away, pull down, pull in, retract, strike, suck at, tug, tweak, twitch, withdraw), дръпване (hitch, pluck, tweak), идиот (driveller, half wit, idiot, mooncalf), пастърма (biltong, jerked meat, jerky), правя рязко движение, мижитурка (pip squeak, yo-yo), друсане (bump, bumpy ride, joggle, jolt, jolting, jumble, rumble-tumble, shaking), конвулсия (convulsion, throe), суша на слънце, тласък (fillip, impetus, impulse, propulsion, pulse, push, shock, shove, thrust, urge), трепвам (blench, flinch, quail, start, twitch, wince), трепване (flick, jump, start, twitch, wince), цръквам, хвърлям (aim, broadcast, cast, cob, dart, dash, draw, fling, fling down, flung, heave, hurl, hurtle, launch, pass, pitch, plunk, pounce, precipitate, project, send, shadow, shed, shoot, shoot out, sling, sock, throw, throw off, throw out, toss, toss about, whop), рязко движение (plunge), спазма (grip, spasm), внезапно движение (fling). (various references)

Chinese 

� " (a time, bout, meal, spell, stop). (various references)

Czech

vùl (Bullock, chump, ox), trhnutí (jolt, pluck, pull, recoil, start, wrench, yank), trhnout (twitch, wrench, yank), smýknutí (jolt), blbec (idiot, imbecile, jackass, nitwit), škubnutí (lurch, pluck, pull, quirk, stab, tug, twinge, twitch, yank), škubnout sebou (jump). (various references)

Danish

rystelse (jolting, shock, trepidation, vibration), i tidsintervaller (shock). (various references)

Dutch

schokken (agitate, jolt, shake, shock). (various references)

Esperanto

ektiri (pull, tug), ekskui (jolt, shake). (various references)

Farsi 

کشش (Draw, Extension, Haul, Haulage, Inducement, Magnetism, Pull, Reach, Tension, Tract, Traction, Tug, Twitch), حرکت تندوسریع (Bob, Scud, Scurry), تکان تند, تکان سریع دادن , تکان (Convulsion, Hustle, Jar, Jolt, Jostle, Motion, Move, Movement, Rock, Shake, Shock, Stroke, Tremor, Wag), تشنج (Convulsion, Fit, Paroxysm, Tetanus, Yank, Yankee), زودکشیدن (Yank, Yankee), انقباض ماهیچه , ادم احمق ونادان . (various references)

Finnish

nykäisy (pull, tug, twitch). (various references)

French

secousse, saccade, jerk. (various references)

German

ruck (flip, hitch, jar, jolt, lurch, pull, swing, tug, wrench, yank), zucken (flare up, flash, flicker, flinch, quiver, shiver, shrug, shrugged, start, streak, thrash about, tremble, tremor, twinge, twitch, work), Ruckweise (jerkily). (various references)

Greek 

νευρικό ανεπιτήδειο άτομο, τινάσσω (flirt, jiggle, joggle, jolt, shake, shock, toss, yank), τιννάσσομαι, τράνταγμα (jar, jerking, jolt), απότομη κίνηση, αναπηδώ (bob, bounce, bound, jig, leap, prance, ramp, rebound, recoil, spring, start), τίναγμα (bump, concussion, flick, jerking, jolt, jounce, percussion, shake, shock, toss, twitch), νευρικό απρόσεκτο άτομο, κόπανοσ (flail, mallet, maul, rammer, swingle), ξαφνική ώθηση (shock), βλαμμένος (dopey, foolish, stupid), κλονισμός (shake, shaking, shock), κινώ απότομα, κραδασμός (bump, shock, vibration), κόπανος (flail, plunger, punner, rammer, stamper, stock, stopper, tamper), αιφνίδια κίνηση. (various references)

Hebrew 

לקלוע (hit, wreathe), לפרפר (crumb, flutter, fly, hover, palpitate, quiver, struggle, twitch), לפרכס (have spasms, kick, squirm), לעצור לפתע, לזרוק במ�"ירות, ל� ע� ע פתאום, ת� וע�" פתאומית (dash), פרפור (agony, convulsion, fibrillation, quiver, spasm, twitch), זעזוע (agitation, concussion, convulsion, shake, shock, start, thrill, tribulation, turbulence), טלטל�" (hurling, throwing, wandering), � תור (hop, jumping, leaping, skip, take off), � �"� ו�" (motion, oscillating, rocking, shaking, swinging, vibrating). (various references)

Hungarian

rántás (hitch, hoick, liaison, lug, pluck, pull, tug, twitch, yank). (various references)

Indonesian

sentakan (jog, jolt, kick, tug, yank), mengganggu-gugat (accuse), gugat (a shick, accuse, critise, jolt), celeng (pig, wild boar). (various references)

Italian

scossa (jolt, quake, shake, shock, toss). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

ジプシー音楽 (German, giant, giant panda, Giants, gibberellin, gym, gymkhana, gymnasium, gymnastics, gypsy music, gyro, gyrocompas, gyrocompass, gyrocopter, gyropilot, gyroscope, Jacquard, jar, jargon, jerky, jersey, Jim Crow, journal, journalism, journalist, journalistic, journey, young people who sit on the ground or sidewalk). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

ジャーク . (various references)

Korean 

경� � (Convulsion, spasm, spastic). (various references)

Manx

clistey (bounce, gambol, spring, starting), clistal (bounce, gambol, spring, start), baic (bawl, bellow, bellow of pain, twist). (various references)

Norwegian

tosk (fool), rykke, rykk (haul). (various references)

Pig Latin

erkjay.(various references)

Portuguese

empurrão (cant, jab, jostle, poke, push, shove, thrust, yank). (various references)

Romanian

scuturãturã (jolt, shake), avea spasmuri, şoc (concussion, dash, hit, jar, jolt, kick, percussion, reaction, shock), convulsii (throes), hurducãturã (jolt), lovire bruscã, avea convulsii, salt brusc, zdruncinãturã (Bob, hitch, jog, jolt, shake, shock), se mişca cu smucituri, smuciturã (flounce, hitch, jolt, tug, twitch, wrench, wring), spasm (grimace, pang, spasm, twinge), tãia felii, tresãri (flinch, give a start, shudder, start, thrill, throb, wince), tresãrire (jump, start, starting, startle, thrill, wince), om de nimic (a bad egg, flibbertigibbet, kestrel, ne'er do well, nobody, scalawag, scamp, scoundrel). (various references)

Russian 

ухабистый (bumpy), сатуратор (saturator), резкое движение (flounce, hoik), резко толкать, вялить, внезапный толчок, подергивание мускула, идиот (clot, driveller, idiot, mooncalf, moron, pillock, plonker, prat, wanker), двигаться толчками, дергать толчок (jerking), дергать (jerked, pull, pull at, rase, twitch, yank, yanked). (various references)

Scottish

allsadh (a jerk). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

udar (blow, fire, impact, knock, shock, smack, strike, stroke, thrust), trznuti se (snatch), trzati se (start), trzati (kick), trzaj (hitch, lunge, lurch, snatch, start, tug, twitch, wince, wrench, yank), trgnuti (draw, pull, recoil, startle, tug, twitch, yank), sušiti (dry), izbaciti (belch, cut out, delete, dispose, dispose of, eject, scavenge, throw, throw out, turf out, warp), glupan (blockhead, bonehead, boob, booby, clod-poll, coot, dimwit, dope, driveler, driveller, dunce, dunderhead, fathead, fat-head, gander, goof, loon, lout, lug, lummox, lunkhead, mutton head, nerd, nincompoop, ninny, ninny-hammer, nitwit, noddy, pin head, pinhead, pumpkin-head, thickhead, tomfool, twit), glup (anserine, asinine, brainless, calvish, cloddish, dense, dozy, dull, dumb, fat-witted, obtuse, sheepish, silly, stupid, unintelligent). (various references)

Spanish

tirón (haul, heave, hitch, lug, pluck, pull, tug, twitch, wrench, yank), sacudida (jar, jog, jolt, jounce, lurch, shake, shaking, shock, toss, twitch). (various references)

Swedish

rycka (hitch, lug, March, move, pluck, pull, switch, tug, twitch, wrench, wrest, yank), ryck (fit, flip, hitch, judder, lug, pull, snatch, start, tug, twich, twitch, whim, yank), stöt (blast, bump, concussion, dig, hit, impact, impingement, impulse, jab, jar, job, jog, jolt, jostle, knock, pass, percussion, prod, push, shock, shove, thrust, thump), ryckning (jump, pluck, pull, start, tic, tug, wince, working), knyck (Bob, dodge, flounce, yank). (various references)

Thai

พู�"ตะกุกตะกัก (falter), การกระตุก (jolt), กระตุก (flick, jolt), ปัญญาอ่อน (feeble-minded, retardative, retardatory, retarded). (various references)

Turkish

refleks (reflection, reflex, reflexion), aşağılık kimse (bounder, caitiff, dastard, dirty dog, heel, louse, no good, reptile, reptilian, skunk, snot, swob), ahmak (addled, ass, blockhead, boob, bumpkin, cabbagehead, chucklehead, chumpish, clot, country bumpkin, crass, cretin, deadly dull, dimwitted, dolt, doltish, dreary, dullish, dumb bell, dunderhead, dunderheaded, fathead, fool, foolish, gander, gawk, gawky, goat, goof, goose, greenhorn, Gubbins, half wit, half-witted, hayseed, idiot, jackass, josser, kookaburra, light in the head, loon, lummox, lump, muggins, mutt, mutton head, noddy, numskull, prune, pudding-head, sap, saphead, sappy, schlepper, simp, soft, stupid, twerp), ani hareket (finisher, flick, impulse, saltation), eti dilimleyip güneşte kurutmak, iğrenç tip (insect, stinkpot, toad), kasılma (contraction, convulsion, hubris, rigor, rigour, spasm), çekivermek (pull suddenly, whip out), pislik (contamination, crap, crud, dinginess, dirt, dirtiness, excrement, excreta, faecal matter, faeces, feculence, filth, filthiness, foulness, gook, griminess, impurity, mess, mire, muck, nastiness, offscourings, ordure, pollution, scum, scurvy, smear, smut, soil, sordidness, squalor, uncleanliness), titremek (dither, dodder, falter, flicker, flutter, judder, pulsate, pulse, quake, quaver, quiver, shake, shimmy, shiver, shudder, thrill, throb, tremble, vibrate, waver, wobble), sıçramak (bounce, bound, buck, capriole, cavort, gambol, hop, jink, jump, leap, leap up, skip, skitter, spatter, splash, splatter, splutter, spring, sputter, squirt, start up, take off, vault), sarsılmak (be cut up, be shaken, be shattered, careen, jar, jolt, judder, quake, rock, shake, shock, sway), sarsıntı (bump, concussion, convulsion, joggle, jolt, jounce, quake, shake, shock, trauma, tremor), sarsmak (affect, afflict, agitate, buffet, buffet about, concuss, convulse, cut up, depolarise, dislocate, erode, give a jerk, hit, horrify, jar, jog, jolt, jounce, reduce, rock, shake, shake up, shock, undermine, unsettle), silkmek (dust, give a jerk, shake, shake off), soda makinesi (soda fountain), kola makinesi (soda fountain). (various references)

Ukrainian

судорожне сіпання (jactation, jactitation), сіпатися (boggle), ривок (chuck, dart, dash, flounce, spirt, sprint, spurt, wrest, yank), тупиця (boeotian, clot, dodo, duffer, dullard, dunce, goon, lob, thick-head, wampus), штовхати (hustle, jab, jog, joggle, jostle, poach, poke, propel, push, shove, thrust). (various references)

Vietnamese 

cú xoắn mạnh thình lình, cú thúc mạnh thình lình, cú đẩy mạnh thình lình, cái xốc mạnh thình lình, cái giật mạnh thình lình. (various references)

Welsh

ysgw+d (fling, shove, toss), ysgegio (jolt, shake). (various references)

Derivations

Words beginning with "jerk": jerked, jerker, jerkers, jerkier, jerkies, jerkiest, jerkily, jerkin, jerkiness, jerkinesses, jerking, jerkins, jerks, jerkwater, jerky. (additional references)

Words containing "jerk": tearjerker, tearjerkers. (additional references)

Misspellings

"Jerk" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Bjerke, ej, erk, gerc, gerk, jalk, jari, jark, jarm, jaro, jaru, jauk, jebr, Jeck, jeera, jeery, Jek, Jelko, jenk, jer, jera, jerb, jerd, jere, jerg, Jerh, jeri, jerka, jerke, jerki, Jerko, jerku, jerl, jerm, jern, jerp, jerr, jert, jeru, jetr, Jger, Jik, jilk, jir, jirg, jirk, jirn, jirt, joer, Jork, jrk, Jurca, Jurek, jurk, jurl, kerk, Njiru, serk, verk, zerk. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

-2 letters: er, re.

+1 letter: jerks, jerky, joker.

+2 letters: jacker, jerked, jerker, jerkin, jinker, jokers, jokier, junker.

+3 letters: jackers, jerkers, jerkier, jerkies, jerkily, jerking, jerkins, jinkers, junkers, junkier.

+4 letters: hijacker, jackeroo, jerkiest, jokester, junketer, rejacket, skijorer.

+5 letters: amberjack, carjacker, hijackers, jackeroos, jackscrew, jailbreak, jayhawker, jaywalker, jerkiness, jerkwater, jokesters, junketeer, junketers, rejackets, skijorers, skyjacker, superjock.