lurch

lurch — verb

1. To move suddenly and unevenly, often with a sideways or forward jerk, because yo

1.動詞不及物B1
釋義

To move suddenly and unevenly, often with a sideways or forward jerk, because you are off balance or cannot control your motion.

例句

The old bus lurched forward and then stopped with a loud squeak.

lurch + direction adverb (forward)

Drunk and dizzy, Élise lurched across the room and grabbed the door frame.

lurch + prepositional phrase (across the room)

同義詞
  • stagger

    Emphasises losing balance while walking; more human-focused than lurch.

  • sway

    A slower, more continuous back-and-forth movement; less sudden than lurch.

  • wobble

    Unsteady side-to-side motion; often describes objects rather than people.

  • lunge

    A deliberate forward thrust; lurch is more uncontrolled.

反義詞
  • glide

    Smooth, controlled movement; the opposite of jerky motion.

文法句型

lurch + adverb/preposition of direction

用法筆記

Often used with an adverb or a prepositional phrase that shows direction or manner, such as lurch forward, lurch sideways, lurch across the room, or lurch to one side.

常見錯誤

❌He lurched the heavy box across the floor.
✅He lurched across the floor carrying the heavy box.
💡'Lurch' is intransitive; you cannot lurch an object. The movement applies to the subject itself.

2. To keep moving or changing direction in an uncontrolled way, especially when rea

2.動詞不及物B2
釋義

To keep moving or changing direction in an uncontrolled way, especially when reacting to events instead of following a steady plan.

例句

The company lurched from one financial crisis to another all year.

lurch from + noun + to + noun

Min's career lurched in a new direction after she lost her job at the bank.

同義詞
  • careen

    More dramatic, often describes literal speeding out of control; lurch is more about irregular jerks.

  • veer

    A single sharp change of direction; lurch suggests repeated or ongoing instability.

  • fluctuate

    Up-and-down change over time; lurch implies more suddenness and lack of control.

反義詞
  • stabilise

    To become steady and controlled; the opposite of lurching.

文法句型

lurch + from + noun + to + noun

lurch + between + noun + and + noun

用法筆記

Commonly followed by the pattern 'from + noun + to + noun' to show a series of uncontrolled changes (e.g. lurched from crisis to crisis). The subject is usually an organisation, economy, process, or someone's career — not a person walking.

常見錯誤

❌The manager lurched the team through the project.
✅The project lurched from one problem to another under the manager.
💡'Lurch' in this figurative sense is intransitive; it describes the subject's own uncontrolled movement, not a person's management style.

lurch — noun