ə niː dʒɜrk riˈækʃən
- Literally:
- The involuntary kick when the knee is tapped by a doctor
What does "a knee-jerk reaction" mean?
- An automatic, unthinking emotional response
- A quick reaction made without careful consideration
Examples
- Firing the employee was a knee-jerk reaction to one mistake.
- Don't make a knee-jerk reaction—think it through first.
- The public's knee-jerk reaction was to blame the government.
Origin
From the medical term 'patellar reflex' discovered in 1875 by Wilhelm Erb and Carl Westphal. The knee-jerk is an involuntary response, and by the 1960s, the term was used figuratively to describe automatic, unthinking reactions.
How to use it
Usually carries a negative connotation, implying that the reaction is not well thought out. Common in discussions about politics, management, and personal decisions.
Similar expressions
Opposites
Related idioms
- keep an eye on
To watch or monitor something carefully
- heart of gold
A very kind, generous, and caring nature
- caught red-handed
Caught in the act of doing something wrong
- keep your chin up
To stay positive and not be discouraged
- wrap your head around something
To understand something complex
- all ears
Listening attentively and eagerly
Use it in a practice answer
Try "a knee-jerk reaction" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.