jerk
Translation
idiot, fool, jolt, sudden pull
Examples
He's a real jerk for saying that.
He's a real jerk for saying that.
The bus stopped with a sudden jerk.
The bus stopped with a sudden jerk.
Grammar Patterns
a/an ((...)) jerk a stupid or unpleasant person He is such a jerk.
with a jerk with a sudden movement The car started with a jerk.
Similar Words
Synonyms: idiot, fool (person); jolt, twitch (movement)
Etymology
From the verb 'to jerk', meaning 'to move suddenly'. The meaning of a contemptible person arose in 20th-century American slang.
Memory Tips
Imagine someone who *jerks* your chair away as a prank – that person is a *jerk*.