jerk
n. countablen. a person who is mean, selfish, or treats others badly. You use this word when someone is being very rude or annoying.
n. a person who is contemptible, selfish, or socially inept. Informal in register and often used as a mild insult to describe someone behaving inconsiderately.
Don't be such a jerk to your sister.
He felt like a jerk after realizing he had forgotten his best friend's birthday for the third year in a row.
The protagonist is portrayed as a lovable jerk whose abrasive exterior eventually softens as he learns the value of genuine human connection.
Probably from Middle English yerk (“sudden motion”) and Middle English yerkid (“tightly pulled”), from Old English ġearc (“ready, active, quick”) and Old English ġearcian (“to prepare, make ready, procure, furnish, supply”). Cognate with Scots yerk (“to jerk”). Related also to English yare (“ready”).
Denominal verb of jerky, itself borrowed from Spanish charqui, from Quechua ch'arki.
Commonly used in the phrase 'be a jerk' or 'act like a jerk'.