icky

I1C3K5Y4
/ˈɪki/

adjective

Unpleasantly sticky; yucky; disgusting.

“I'm not going to work today. I just feel icky.”

Similar
grossishyschmaltzysyrupytreaclybatheticcheesysquishy
Less commonScrabble 13
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

adjectiveicky (comparative ickier, superlative ickiest)

comparative ickier · superlative ickiest

  1. informalUnpleasantly sticky; yucky; disgusting.

    I stepped in something icky and it smells terrible.

    1 more example

    Crew member Sachin Sharma of India said workers had no problems with being thrust into the icky job of handling the red bags filled with human waste.

    2013 February 15, Wayne Drash, “On crippled cruise ship, icky jobs fell to ‘amazing’ crew”, in CNN

    Synonyms: gross, ishy

  2. informalExcessively sentimental.

    Synonyms: schmaltzy, syrupy, treacly, bathetic, cheesy, squishy, corny, drippy

  3. informalUnwell or upset; in a bad state of mind or health.

    I'm not going to work today. I just feel icky.

    Synonyms: bad, poorly, sick, ailing, bad, crank, crook, green about the gills

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveUnpleasantly sticky; yucky; disgusting.

Similar
grossishy

adjectiveExcessively sentimental.

Similar
schmaltzysyrupytreaclybatheticcheesysquishycornydrippygooeyhokeykitschkitschymaudlinmawkishmushyoveremotionaloversentimentaloverwroughtsappy

adjectiveUnwell or upset; in a bad state of mind or health.

Similar
badpoorlysickailingbadcrankcrookgreen about the gillsillindisposedinfirmlike death warmed overlousymaladivemawkishoff one's feedon the Pat and Mickout of sortsPat and Mick

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivevery bad

Similar
crappylousyrottenshittystinkingstinkybad

adjectivesoft and sticky

Similar
gooeyadhesive
Also see
badcheesyclartycrappycruddydirtydrippygooeygrubbyhokeyillkitschylousymaudlinmawkishmushyoveremotionaloversentimentalrottenroughsappyschmaltzyshittysickly sweetslushysoppysoupystinkingstinkysyrupytreaclytumiduncleanyechyyucky

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

1935, American English; from icky-boo (circa 1920): sickly, nauseated; baby talk corruption of sick; from a sentimental term for jazz music.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian лепкав, сладникав
  • лепкав (lepkav)unpleasantly sticky; yucky; disgusting
  • сладникав (sladnikav)excessively sentimental
Esperanto aĉa, malbongustega
  • aĉaunpleasantly sticky; yucky; disgusting
  • malbongustegaunpleasantly sticky; yucky; disgusting
Finnish yököttävä, ällö
  • yököttäväunpleasantly sticky; yucky; disgusting
  • ällöunpleasantly sticky; yucky; disgusting
French dégueulasse, dégueu
  • dégueulasseunpleasantly sticky; yucky; disgusting
  • dégueuunpleasantly sticky; yucky; disgusting
  • dégoûtantunpleasantly sticky; yucky; disgusting
  • cuculexcessively sentimental
  • mièvreexcessively sentimental
  • sirupeuxexcessively sentimental
German eklig, ekelig
  • ekligunpleasantly sticky; yucky; disgusting
  • ekeligunpleasantly sticky; yucky; disgusting
  • fies klebrigunpleasantly sticky; yucky; disgusting
  • kitschigexcessively sentimental
Italian disgustoso, sdolcinato
  • disgustosounpleasantly sticky; yucky; disgusting
  • sdolcinatoexcessively sentimental
  • svenevoleexcessively sentimental
Norwegian Bokmål ekkel
  • ekkelunpleasantly sticky; yucky; disgusting
Polish be
  • beunpleasantly sticky; yucky; disgusting
Portuguese meloso
  • melosounpleasantly sticky; yucky; disgusting
Swedish äcklig, sliskig
  • äckligunpleasantly sticky; yucky; disgusting
  • sliskigexcessively sentimental

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with icky

wikistickyRickytrickytikiVickyhickeydickeypickyquickiedickiechickypiccywickyblickeyblickybrickiebrickycliqueycrickyflickylickypikkiepull a sickie
All rhymes →

Anagrams

yick
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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