26984 words

jerk

9 definitions • 17 examples
1
to make a short sudden movement, or to cause someone or something to do this:

Examples:

jerk to a halt The car made a strange noise and then jerked to a halt.
"What's wrong?" she asked, jerking her head up.
2
in weightlifting, to lift the bar quickly, from your shoulders to a position in which the arms are stretched above the head:

Examples:

You shouldn't use momentum to jerk the weights instead of lifting.
They were jerking weights around and clumsily using their backs to lift.
3
to suddenly behave differently, usually by understanding something or becoming active again, or to cause someone or something to do this:

Examples:

jerk someone out of something The shock of losing his job jerked him out of his settled lifestyle.
People didn't appreciate being jerked out of their celebratory mood and brought back to business.
jerk out of Hearing raised voices, he jerked out of his reverie.
4

Examples:

with a jerk She pulled the bush out of the ground with a sharp jerk.
The alarm went off and he woke up with a jerk.
5
a quick movement in weightlifting, where the competitor lifts the bar from his or her shoulders to a position in which the arms are stretched above the head:

Examples:

It’s very easy to let the bar travel backward when learning the jerk.
Just take the bar off the rack, do a jerk or two and replace it.
6
a stupid person, usually a man:

Examples:

You stupid jerk! You've just spilled beer all down my new shirt!
7
a style of cooking popular in the Caribbean, in which meat is rubbed or marinated (= left covered) in special spices and then cooked, usually on a wood fire:

Examples:

When it comes to jerk spices, the key flavours are scotch bonnet peppers, allspice, and thyme.
8
to make a short, sudden movement, or to cause someone or something to move in this way:

Examples:

[ T ] She jerked the phone out of his hands.
[ I ] The bus jerked to a halt.
9
a foolish, annoying person:

Examples:

What a jerk – he parked in my spot!

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