choppy

C3H4O1P3P3Y4
UK/ˈt͡ʃɒ.pi/US/ˈt͡ʃɑ.pi/

adjective

Having many small, rough waves.

“The sound is choppy in this video.”

Similar
jerkysuddenstormy
Less commonScrabble 18
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Meanings

adjectivechoppy (comparative choppier, superlative choppiest)

comparative choppier · superlative choppiest

  1. Having many small, rough waves.

    “Huh, this lazy river seems like it's getting pretty choppy.”

    2024 October 31, Stephanie Amante-Ritter, “The Best Exotic Nanite Hotel” (12:39 from the start), in Star Trek: Lower Decks, season 5, episode 3, spoken by Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid)
    2 more examples

    Commander Birch was a trifle uneasy when he found there was more than a popple on the sea; it was, in fact, distinctly choppy.

    1928, Lawrence R. Bourne, chapter 17, in Well Tackled!

    Safely navigating choppy waters has allowed FirstGroup to pay its first interim dividend for almost a decade, and only its second since payments restarted in August.

    2022 November 30, “Network News: First pays out interim dividend after reporting £37m pre-tax profit”, in RAIL, number 971, page 24
  2. Discontinuous, intermittent.

    The sound is choppy in this video.

  3. Shifting, variable

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectivemarked by abrupt transitions

Similar
jerkysudden

adjectiverough with small waves

Similar
stormy
Also see
jerkysnippetysnippysudden

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From chop + -y.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic مُتَقَطِّع
  • مُتَقَطِّع (mutaqaṭṭiʕ)discontinuous, intermittent
Bulgarian развълнуван, накъсан
  • развълнуван (razvălnuvan)having many small, rough waves
  • накъсан (nakăsan)discontinuous, intermittent
  • поривист (porivist)of wind
Catalan tempestuós, agitat
  • tempestuóshaving many small, rough waves
  • agitathaving many small, rough waves
  • entretallatdiscontinuous, intermittent
Chinese Mandarin 斷斷續續 /断断续续
  • 斷斷續續 /断断续续 (duànduànxùxù)discontinuous, intermittent
Czech rozbouřený, neklidný
  • rozbouřenýhaving many small, rough waves
  • neklidnýhaving many small, rough waves
  • zčeřenýhaving many small, rough waves
  • zvlněnýhaving many small, rough waves
  • rozvlněnýhaving many small, rough waves
  • trhanýdiscontinuous, intermittent
  • přerušovanýdiscontinuous, intermittent
French haché, saccadé
  • hachéhaving many small, rough waves
  • saccadéhaving many small, rough waves
Irish útamáilte
  • útamáiltehaving many small, rough waves
Italian increspato
  • increspatohaving many small, rough waves
Māori whenewhene, hīnarunaru
  • whenewhenehaving many small, rough waves
  • hīnarunaruhaving many small, rough waves
  • karekarehaving many small, rough waves
Spanish picado, encrespado
  • picadohaving many small, rough waves
  • encrespadohaving many small, rough waves
  • entrecortadodiscontinuous, intermittent
Swedish krabb
  • krabbhaving many small, rough waves
Tagalog putol-putol
  • putol-putoldiscontinuous, intermittent

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with choppy

copyfloppyshoppypoppyhoppyboppysoppystroppyoppycloppyfoppygloppymoppymopyproppy
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

choppy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/choppy

MLA

“choppy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/choppy. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “choppy,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/choppy.

Source: choppy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.