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jerk — a person who is rude, obnoxious, or selfish

Part of speech: NOUN

Definition: a person who is rude, obnoxious, or selfish

Pronunciation (IPA): /dʒɜːrk/

Example Sentences

  • My boss is a total jerk who never says thank you.
  • The train jerked suddenly, spilling coffee all over my shirt.
  • Don't jerk the rope too hard or it might break.

jerk

NOUN

[/dʒɜːrk/]

a person who is rude, obnoxious, or selfish

Rude and selfish person
💡 Concept

Rude and selfish person

The jerk makes them work while wearing a smirk!
🎵 Rhyme

The jerk makes them work while wearing a smirk!

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/dʒɜːrk/
🇬🇧 UK/dʒɜːk/

🌳Etymology

Rootjerk

Origin

Jerk emerged in the mid-16th century as an onomatopoetic word representing sudden, abrupt movements. By the 20th century, the term extended to slang usage meaning a foolish or contemptible person.

Breakdown

The word functions as an onomatopoeia derived from the mimicry of sharp, sudden motion, with the consonant cluster 'j-rk' capturing the abrupt quality of the action.

🎵Rhyme

work
clerk
quirk
perk
smirk

🔗Collocations

knee-jerk reaction
jerk around
jerk off
jerk someone's chain
jerk awake
soda jerk

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

“My boss is a total jerk who never says thank you.”

😄 Fun example

“The train jerked suddenly, spilling coffee all over my shirt.”

“Don't jerk the rope too hard or it might break.”

“His knee-jerk reaction was to blame everyone else.”

📚Related Words

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