jerk

¹ American  

[jurk] / dʒɜrk /

noun

1. a quick, sharp pull, thrust, twist, throw, or the like; a sudden movement.

   The train started with a jerk.

2. a spasmodic, usually involuntary, muscular movement, as the reflex action of pulling the hand away from a flame.

3. any sudden, quick movement of the body, as in dodging something.

4. Slang. a contemptibly rude, inconsiderate, or mean person.

   That jerk just cut me off!

5. (in weightlifting) the raising of a weight from shoulder height to above the head by straightening the arms.

6. British Informal. jerks, physical jerks.

7. a dance, deriving from the twist, in which the dancers alternately thrust out their pelvises and their shoulders.

8. the jerks, paroxysms or violent spasmodic muscular movements, as resulting from excitement evoked by some religious services.

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verb (used with object)

1. to pull, twist, move, thrust, or throw with a quick, suddenly arrested motion.

   She jerked the child by the hand.

2. to utter in a broken, spasmodic way.

3. Informal. to prepare, dispense, and serve (sodas, ice cream, etc.) at a soda fountain.

verb (used without object)

1. to give a jerk or jerks.

2. to move with a quick, sharp motion; move spasmodically.

3. to talk in a broken, spasmodic way.

4. Informal. to work as a soda jerk.

5. to dance the jerk.

verb phrase

1. jerk off to masturbate.

jerk ² American  

[jurk] / dʒɜrk /

verb (used with object)

1. to preserve (meat, especially beef) by cutting in strips and curing by drying in the sun.

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adjective

1. being or containing a spicy seasoning mixture flavored with allspice, used especially in Jamaican cooking.

   jerk sauce.

2. prepared with jerk flavorings, especially by barbecuing or grilling.

   jerk chicken.

noun

1. jerky.

jerk ¹ British  

/ dʒɜːk /

verb

1. to move or cause to move with an irregular or spasmodic motion

2. to throw, twist, pull, or push (something) abruptly or spasmodically

3. to utter (words, sounds, etc) in a spasmodic, abrupt, or breathless manner

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noun

1. an abrupt or spasmodic movement

2. an irregular jolting motion

   the car moved with a jerk

3. Also called: physical jerks.  informal (plural) physical exercises

4. (plural) a slang word for chorea

5. slang a person regarded with contempt, esp a stupid or ignorant person

jerk ² British  

/ dʒɜːk /

verb

1. to preserve (venison, beef, etc) by cutting into thin strips and curing by drying in the sun

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noun

1. Also called: jerky.  jerked meat, esp beef

Other Word Forms

• jerker noun
• jerking adjective
• jerkingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of jerk¹

First recorded in 1540–50; 1935–40 jerk ¹ for def. 4; earlier gi(e)rk, ierke; origin uncertain; perhaps dialectal variant of yerk “to draw stitches tight” (shoemaker's term), thus making the shoe ready to wear, from Old English gearcian “to prepare, make ready”

Origin of jerk²

First recorded in 1700–10; back formation from jerky ²

Explanation

A jerk is a sharp, sudden movement. When you're learning to drive a stick shift, it’s hard to avoid the jerk and lurch when you try to change gears. Jerk is also a very unflattering term for an obnoxious person. Although you will most commonly hear the derogatory jerk as in "Don't be such a jerk," there are many other meanings of the word. ""Clean and jerk" is an Olympic weightlifting event where you lift a barbell in one "clean" movement, then, in one quick thrust — the jerk — you lift the weight above your head. Jerk can also mean making a sharp, sudden move — like a dog jerks on his chain. You may have eaten jerk, also called jerky — strips of dried meat — handy for lunchboxes and camping.

Example Sentences

Jamaican jerk seasoning, made with allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, is a reminder that the spice route reached all the way to the Western Hemisphere.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

"It's Olympic lifts we're doing - clean and jerk, snatches, squats, the lot," says Hammy McMillan, who's gold medal-tipped men's rink start their campaign on Wednesday.

From BBC • Feb. 11, 2026

Am I being a jerk if I just don’t do anything at all?

From MarketWatch • Dec. 11, 2025

Langston Higgins: You got soccer shoes, you got skate shoes, we had a jerk shoe.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025

Most earthquakes occur when sections of the earth’s crust far below the surface rub up against one another, get stuck, and then jerk free all at once.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

Related Words

• bounce
• bump
• fling
• flop
• hurtle
• jolt
• lug
• snatch
• thrust
• tug
• twitch
• wiggle
• wrench
• wriggle
• wring
• yank