ick

American  

[ik] / ɪk /

interjection

1. (used as an expression of distaste or repugnance.)

---

noun

1. Informal. something or someone that causes feelings of distaste or repugnance.

   If your dog has an eye infection, regularly wipe the ick from his eyes and nose with a clean, damp, warm washcloth.

   It's a big ick for me when someone is rude to waitstaff.

2. Slang. the ick, a sudden feeling of disgust or dislike, often in response to the actions of another person.

   I once got the ick when a guy I was dating used an emoji that annoyed me.

3. Chiefly British Informal. the ick, an illness, especially one such as a cold or flu.

   It seems like everyone in the office is coming down with the ick at once.

Usage

What does ick mean? Ick is used to show disgust or repugnance, as in Ick! That's so gross. As a noun phrase, the ick is also an informal term for sickness or other queasy feelings. How is ick pronounced?[ ik ]What are some other forms of ick?

• icky
• the ick
• ick factor

Etymology

Origin of ick

First recorded in 1965–70; of expressive origin

Example Sentences

“The ick is real, and it feels very predatory,” said Jennifer Gray Thompson, chief executive officer of After The Fire USA, a nonprofit that has worked in Lahaina, Paradise and other communities ravaged by wildfire.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2025

“I like working with blood sucking insects because of their uniqueness and the ick factor, complex interactions with their hosts and their fascinating role in both ecological and human health contexts,” Insaurralde said.

From Salon • Oct. 31, 2024

“Aside from the ick factor, we all had the exact same thought,” he says.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 22, 2024

But the idea of sending treated wastewater directly to homes has long struggled to overcome an ick factor in California.

From New York Times • Dec. 19, 2023

And it somehow vacuums up all the ick and yuck between us, all my mean cockroachy thoughts too.

From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson