lurch

UK: /ˈlɜː^rtʃ/ US: /lɝtʃ/ ,(lûrch)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

lurch¹ /lɜrtʃ/   n. 

[countable]
1. an act or instance of swaying abruptly;
   a sudden tip or roll to one side, as of a ship or a person losing his or her balance.

v. [no object]

2. (of a ship) to roll or pitch suddenly:
   The ship lurched in the storm.
3. to stagger or sway:
   He lurched out of the bar.

lurch² /lɜrtʃ/   n. Idioms

1. Idioms leave (someone) in the lurch, to leave behind or desert (someone) when help is needed most:
   He left his family in the lurch and took off with his secretary.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

lurch¹  (lûrch), n. 

1. an act or instance of swaying abruptly.
2. a sudden tip or roll to one side, as of a ship or a staggering person.
3. an awkward, swaying or staggering motion or gait.

v.i. 

4. (of a ship) to roll or pitch suddenly.
5. to make a lurch;
   move with lurches;
   stagger:
   The wounded man lurched across the room.

• origin, originally uncertain 1760–70

lurch′ing•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 5. . lunge, reel, totter.

lurch²  (lûrch), n. 

1. a situation at the close of various games in which the loser scores nothing or is far behind the opponent.
2. Idioms leave in the lurch, to leave in an uncomfortable or desperate situation;
   desert in time of trouble:
   Our best salesperson left us in the lurch at the peak of the busy season.

• Gmc; compare Middle High German lurz left (hand), Old English belyrtan to deceive
• Middle French lourche a game, noun, nominal use of lourche (adjective, adjectival) discomfited
• 1525–35

lurch³  (lûrch), v.t. 

1. [Archaic.] to do out of;
   defraud;
   cheat.
2. [Obs.] to acquire through underhanded means;
   steal;
   filch.

v.i. 

3. British Terms to lurk near a place;
   prowl.

n. 

4. [Archaic.] the act of lurking or state of watchfulness.

• late Middle English lorchen, apparently variant of lurken to lurk 1375–1425

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

lurch / lɜːtʃ/ verb (intransitive)

1. to lean or pitch suddenly to one side
2. to stagger or sway

noun

1. the act or an instance of lurching

Etymology: 19th Century: origin unknown

lurch / lɜːtʃ/ noun

1. leave someone in the lurch ⇒ to desert someone in trouble
2. the state of a losing player with less than 30 points at the end of a game (esp in the phrase in the lurch)

Etymology: 16th Century: from French lourche a game similar to backgammon, apparently from lourche (adj) deceived, probably of Germanic origin

lurch / lɜːtʃ/ verb

1. (intransitive) to prowl or steal about suspiciously

Etymology: 15th Century: perhaps a variant of lurk