noun
Internet Slang
The Ick
/ðiː ɪk/ · noun · informal
A sudden, irreversible turn-off toward someone you were into.
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Definitions
1
Loosely, anything that gives you a cringe or off feeling, not just romantic.
“Corporate emails with too many exclamation marks give me the ick.”
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2
A wave of involuntary disgust that kills your attraction to someone, often over something tiny or random.
“He chased the bus and I caught the ick instantly.”
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3
As a feeling, the cringe reaction itself.
“Just got the ick watching him struggle to open the door.”
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The Ick In A Sentence
I got the ick when he called the waiter 'chief.'
Once you catch the ick there's no coming back, I'm sorry.
She gave me the ick the second she clapped when the plane landed.
Origin & Usage
Used informally for decades but exploded via UK reality TV 'Love Island' around 2017, then spread globally on TikTok. Distinctly British in flavor.
People Also Ask
What does the ick mean?
It's a sudden, often irrational turn-off that kills your attraction to someone, frequently over something small.
Where did the ick come from?
It blew up through UK reality show Love Island around 2017 before going global on TikTok.
Can you get over the ick?
People debate it — some say once the ick hits it's permanent, others say it can fade with time.
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