knee-jerk

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See also: kneejerk and knee jerk

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From knee +‎ jerk, First attested 1876, derived from a figurative sense of the patellar reflex.

Pronunciation

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  • Audio (US):(file)

Adjective

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knee-jerk (comparative more knee-jerk, superlative most knee-jerk)

  1. Unthinking, not carefully considered, (nearly) automatic, spontaneous, easily predictable.
    He gave a knee-jerk response.
    • 2022 March 23, Nigel Harris, “Comment: Drains, trains and Control”, in RAIL, number 953, page 3:
      There were knee-jerk demands from trade unions for immediate withdrawal of all HSTs; these were wrong-headed.
    • 2023 March 15, Michael J. de la Merced, Maureen Farrell, “Credit Suisse to Borrow Up to $54 Billion From Central Bank”, in The New York Times[1]:
      The knee-jerk reaction is further evidence of just how panicked investors are about the stability of the global financial system after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank last week.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Noun

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knee-jerk (plural knee-jerks)

  1. A sudden reflexive movement of the leg below the knee, as a reaction to a tap to the tendon just below the patella (kneecap).

Synonyms

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Translations

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