choppy
Americanadjective
-
(of the sea, a lake, etc.) forming short, irregular, broken waves.
-
(of the wind) shifting or changing suddenly or irregularly; variable.
-
uneven in style or quality or characterized by poorly related parts.
The book was a choppy first novel.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- choppily adverb
- choppiness noun
Etymology
Origin of choppy
Explanation
When water is choppy, it's wind-blown and rippling with waves. It's tricky for a beginner to sail in a choppy lake. Choppy usually describes what happens to the surface of a body of water during a storm. Strong wind blowing across a bay, for example, turns the water choppy and rough. Something with a jerky, abrupt way of moving or flowing is also choppy, whether it's a piece of music or a filmed scene in a movie. In the 1600s, a stormy sea was described as chopping, which had changed to choppy by about 1830.
Vocabulary lists containing choppy
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The movie is well-written but haphazardly made, with some choppy editing and a soundtrack of Cheech & Chong original songs that frequently drown out the dialogue to the point of irritation.
From Salon • Apr. 18, 2026
The pace of hiring is much slower compared to a few years ago, however, and it’s also quite choppy.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026
But there could be more choppy trading ahead.
From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026
Tuesday’s choppy trading session marked the latest twist for markets that in recent weeks have been almost singularly focused on the price of oil.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
With a direction to aim for, the engine man hunkers down and grips the controls, motoring our little dinghy through choppy water.
From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
