icky

adjective

ˈi-kē 

ickier; ickiest

: offensive to the senses or sensibilities : distasteful

put off by her icky triteness

—Renata Adler

ickiness

ˈi-kē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• bad
• bitter
• disagreeable
• displeasing
• distasteful
• harsh
• nasty
• rotten
• sour
• uncongenial
• unlovely
• unpalatable
• unpleasant
• unpleasing
• unsavory
• unwelcome
• wicked
• yucky
• yukky

Examples of icky in a Sentence

The trail was icky with mud.

the novel has an icky sentimentality that makes my skin crawl

Recent Examples on the Web

Sweet Chamomile Dog Deodorizing Spritz The Dog Deodorizing Spritz is a no-rinse product designed to be sprayed directly on your furry friend's coat to knock back icky smells. —Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 May 2025

Photo: IMDb This deeply icky picaresque about a 13-year-old runaway (Chloë Grace Moretz) called in Lively for the Blake specialty: a self-loathing drug addict with a heart of gold with whom men are obsessed. —Lizzie Logan, Vulture, 2 May 2025

His icky organic take on the digital future, a Luddite open world of bone pistols and nippled controllers, vacuum-seals eXistenZ in a way some semblance of real technology never could. —A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025

But the whole thing just feels icky to me. —Erin Clack, People.com, 5 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

perhaps baby talk alteration of sticky

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined above