lurch
1 of 5verb (1)
ˈlərch 
lurched; lurching; lurches
intransitive verb
1
: to move with a lurch
suddenly lurched forward
also : stagger
has lurched from crisis to crisis 
Jere Longman
Jere Longman 2
: to roll or tip abruptly : pitch
lurch
2 of 5noun (1)
1
: an abrupt jerking, swaying, or tipping movement
the car moved forward with a lurch
also : stagger sense 2
2
: a sudden roll of a ship to one side
lurch
3 of 5noun (2)
: a decisive defeat in which an opponent wins a game by more than double the defeated player's score especially in cribbage
lurch
4 of 5verb (2)
lurched; lurching; lurches
transitive verb
1
: to defeat by a lurch (as in cribbage)
2
archaic : to leave in the lurch
lurch
5 of 5verb (3)
lurched; lurching; lurches
intransitive verb
dialectal, chiefly England : to loiter about a place furtively : prowl
transitive verb
1
archaic : cheat
2
obsolete : steal
Synonyms
Verb (1)
- careen
- pitch
- rock
- roll
- seesaw
- sway
- toss
- wobble
- wabble
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
origin unknown
Noun (2) and Verb (2)
Middle French lourche, adjective, defeated by a lurch, deceived
Verb (3)
Middle English lorchen, probably alteration of lurken to lurk
First Known Use
Verb (1)
circa 1828, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Noun (1)
1805, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Noun (2)
1598, in the meaning defined above
Verb (2)
circa 1651, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Verb (3)
15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Phrases Containing lurch
Kids Definition
lurch 1 of 2
noun
ˈlərch
: a sudden swaying, tipping, or jerking movement
lurch
2 of 2verb
lurched; lurching
: to move with a sudden swaying, tipping, or jerking motion The boat lurched in rough seas.
lurch 1 of 2
verb
1
as in to sway
to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions the room lurched with every jolt of the earthquake Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- sway
- shake
- rock
- halt
- careen
- wobble
- roll
- toss
- jerk
- tumble
- falter
- stumble
- vibrate
- jolt
- stagger
- totter
- vacillate
- flounder
- blunder
- waddle
- seesaw
- wabble
- hobble
- waver
- pitch
- hitch
- toddle
- dodder
- oscillate
- undulate
- buck
- reel
- weave
- waggle
- teeter
- wag
2
as in to stagger
to move forward while swaying from side to side dressed in his zombie costume, the boy lurched down the street in his quest for Halloween candy Synonyms & Similar Words
- stagger
- shuffle
- stumble
- totter
- careen
- stomp
- waddle
- roll
- sway
- weave
- dodder
- rock
- reel
- wobble
- teeter
- shamble
- waver
- blunder
- flounder
- barge
- scuffle
- clump
- lump
- clomp
- galumph
- seesaw
- swag
- wabble
- tramp
- pound
- scuff
- stamp
- tromp
- lumber
lurch
2 of 2noun
as in washout
Synonyms & Similar Words
- washout
- collapse
- upset
- fiasco
- debacle
- setback
- flop
- fizzle
- whitewash
- failure
- whipping
- débâcle
- shutout
- nonsuccess
- defeat
- licking
- drubbing
- overthrow
- trimming
- beating
- trouncing
- rout
- loss
- shellacking
- plastering
- lump
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- triumph
- victory
- success
- win
- sweep
- achievement
- runaway
- accomplishment
- landslide
- blowout
- romp
- cakewalk
- walkover
- walkaway