lurchy
Moving in jolts
Lurchy describes movement that is unsteady and jerky, characterized by sudden shifts or stumbles: The old bus made its lurchy way down the mountain road.
Something lurchy moves in lurches rather than smoothly—a drunk's gait, a stalling engine, a boat in rough water.
The word is informal and slightly playful.
Shockingly impressive or unsteady
- totteringMoving unsteadily, nearly falling
- stumblingWalking clumsily, almost falling
- wobblingMoving unsteadily, wavering
- teeteringUnstably balanced, nearly falling
shambling · pitching · careening · swaying · reeling · jerky · jolting · halting
Tending to teeter
- shakyTrembling or unstable
- unstableProne to sudden change
- ricketyUnsteady, liable to collapse
- precariousDangerously insecure
unbalanced · faltering · trembling · quivering · insecure · rocky · tottery · wavering
Uneven in surface
- jarringDisturbingly incongruous
- bouncyTends to rebound
- roughUneven in surface
- judderingVibrating with rapid jolts
shuddering · rattling · jolting · rocking · pitching · rollicking · turbulent · bone-shaking
staggering
Shockingly impressive or unsteady
- totteringMoving unsteadily, nearly falling
- stumblingWalking clumsily, almost falling
- wobblingMoving unsteadily, wavering
teetering · shambling · pitching · careening · swaying · reeling · jerky · jolting · halting · erratic
wobbly
Tending to teeter
precarious · unbalanced · faltering · trembling · quivering · insecure · rocky · tottery · wavering · uncertain
bumpy
Uneven in surface
juddering · shuddering · rattling · jolting · rocking · pitching · rollicking · turbulent · bone-shaking
queasy
Mildly sick to stomach
dizzy · vertiginous · nauseated · unsettled · green · bilious
stumbling
Walking clumsily, almost falling
- shamblingAwkward, unsteady walking
- lumberingMoving heavily and awkwardly
- clumsyLacking physical coordination
ungainly · awkward · uncoordinated · blundering · fumbling · bumbling · staggery · tripping · weaving · shuffling
lurchysteady
Fixed, not fluctuating
stable · balanced · controlled · even-keeled · consistent
- left in the lurchAbandoned in difficulty
- leave someone in the lurchDesert in difficulty
- leave in the lurch