jerkishadj.
/ˈdʒəːkɪʃ/, U.S. /ˈdʒərkɪʃ/ 1. Characterized by abrupt stops and starts; jerky. Somewhat rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > motion in specific manner > sudden movement > [adjective] > jerking > jerky
jerky1670
flingy1838
jerkish1861
snappy1872
jerksome1880
herky-jerky1890
flicky1897
syncopated1924
1861 Recreative Sci. 2 118/1 She retracts her head and slowly withdraws into her house, somewhat after the manner in which the vorticellæ retire, but the motion is not so rapid nor so jerkish.
1885 Manch. Examiner 18 Mar. 5/6 ‘No,’ said Lord Edmond, in his jerkish manner, ‘the Government have no information.’
2014 Intelligencer (Doylestown, Pa.) 14 Mar. d5/4 Did she dance in the crazy way she does, with her fingers curled like claws and jerkish movements?
2. colloquial (originally North American). Characteristic of or resembling a jerk (jerk n.1 12); foolish, bumbling; (also) deliberately irritating or obnoxious.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > lack of understanding > foolishness, folly > [adjective]
dizzyc825
unwisec825
redelessOE
unwittyc1000
daftlikec1175
witlessc1175
canga1225
adoted?c1225
cangun?c1225
egedec1225
cangeda1250
foola1250
snepea1250
aerwittec1275
sotlyc1275
unslyc1275
unwitterc1275
unwilya1300
nicec1300
goosishc1374
unskilfulc1374
follyc1380
lewdc1380
mis-feelinga1382
dottlec1390
foltedc1390
peevishc1400
fona1425
fonnishc1425
foliousa1450
foolisha1450
daft?c1450
doitedc1450
dotyc1450
daffish1470
insapientc1470
gucked?a1500
wanwittya1500
furious1526
insipient1528
seelya1529
dawish?1529
foolage1545
momish1546
base-wittedc1547
stultitiousa1549
follifulc1550
senseless1565
mopish1568
fondish1579
unsensiblea1586
fondly1587
dizzardly1594
follial1596
featlessc1598
fopperly1599
gowkeda1605
inept1604
simple1604
anserine1607
foppish1608
silly ass1608
unsage1608
wisdomless1608
fool-beggeda1616
Gotham1621
noddy1645
badot1653
dosser-headed1655
infrunite1657
nonsensicalc1661
slight1663
sappy1670
datelessa1686
noddy-peaked1694
nizy1709
dottled1772
gypit1804
shay-brained1806
folly-stricken1807
fool-like1811
goosy1811
spoony1813
niddle-noddle1821
gumptionless1823
daftish1825
anserous1826
as crazy as a loon1830
spoonish1833
cheese-headed1836
dotty1860
fool-fool1868
noodly1870
dilly1873
gormless1883
daffy1884
monkey-doodle1886
mosy1887
jay1891
pithecanthropic1897
peanut-headed1906
dinlo1907
boob1911
goofy1921
ding-a-ling1935
jerky1944
jerk1947
jerkish1948
pointy-headed1950
doofus1967
twitty1967
twittish1969
nerkish1975
numpty1992
1948 N.Y. Amsterdam News 24 Apr. 20/6 How stupid, and jerkish, this stand of the American Bowling Congress in this day and time.
1991 P. J. O'Rourke Parl. of Whores (1992) 67 You are this very smart but jerkish MIT computer genius who works in an extremely secret part of the Defense Department.
1995 Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gaz. 8 June c1/1 An atmosphere in which needling each other and acting jerkish is cool.
2013 L. McMann Bang (e-book ed.) He doesn't answer Sawyer, which feels kind of jerkish to me.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2019; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1861