noun

clicker

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Clicker (noun) means a video game in which you repeatedly click or tap to earn currency, then spend it on upgrades that earn currency faster; also called a clicker game. Example: “She left the clicker running overnight and woke up to several billion cookies.”

noun

informal A video game in which you repeatedly click or tap to earn currency, then spend it on upgrades that earn currency faster; also called a clicker game.

"She left the clicker running overnight and woke up to several billion cookies."

"Most clickers start with one button and end up looking like a spreadsheet full of upgrades."

"The genre exploded in 2013, when Cookie Clicker turned a joke about clicking into a phenomenon."

"He plays a clicker on his phone during the commute, mostly out of habit."

"The first hour of a good clicker is manual; after that, the upgrades do the clicking for you."

A small handheld device that makes a sharp click, used in animal training to mark the exact moment an animal does the right thing.

"The trainer marked the sit with a clicker, then handed over the treat."

"A clicker works because the sound arrives faster than a spoken "good boy" ever could."

A handheld remote used to advance the slides in a presentation.

"She moved to the next slide with a press of the clicker."

"Someone had walked off with the clicker, so he advanced the deck by hand."

informal Informal, chiefly North American: a television remote control.

"Whoever has the clicker controls the evening."

How to use clicker

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThese days, "clicker" most often means a game you play by clicking or tapping over and over to build up points and upgrades.

When to use it

Informal in every sense. In writing, "clicker game" is clearer than "clicker" on its own, since the same word also covers animal-training devices and presentation remotes.

UK vs US

The "TV remote" sense is chiefly North American; British English generally says "remote" or "the remote control."

Memory tip

If you mean the game genre, "clicker game" removes all doubt — "clicker" alone has three other everyday meanings.

Trace the full origin ↓

Common pairings

clicker game idle clicker play a clicker clicker training the TV clicker

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

Word forms

Plural: clickers

Test yourself on “clicker” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

She left the _____ running overnight and woke up to several billion cookies.

Etymology

From "click" — a word imitating a short, sharp sound — plus the agent suffix "-er," giving "a thing that clicks." The animal-training sense is the older one: the term comes from a small metal cricket noisemaker, adapted from a child's toy, used to mark the behaviour a trainer wants. The video-game sense is much newer, emerging in the early 2010s alongside games like Cow Clicker and becoming widespread after Cookie Clicker in 2013.

Origin: English

Synonyms

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idle game incremental game tapper clicker game noisemaker cricket presentation remote slide advancer remote remote control zapper

Related words

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Rhymes for clicker

wicker ticker kicker bicker sicker Picker snicker sticker flicker slicker trafficker

See all rhymes for clicker →

Frequently asked questions

What is a clicker game?

A clicker game is a video game built around repeatedly clicking or tapping to earn an in-game currency, which you then spend on upgrades that produce that currency faster. The loop escalates quickly: numbers that start in single digits often end up so large they are written in scientific notation. Cookie Clicker is the best-known example.

What is the difference between a clicker game and an idle game?

They overlap heavily and the words are often used interchangeably, but there is a real distinction. A clicker game emphasises active input — you are meant to keep clicking. An idle game emphasises automation and offline progress, continuing to earn while you are not playing. Many games are both: you click hard at the start, then automate, and the game keeps earning after you close it.

Why are clicker games so addictive?

They give constant, immediate feedback and a reward curve that never quite flattens. Every click produces a visible number, upgrades are always just within reach, and progress often continues while you are away, so returning is always rewarded. Many also add prestige systems that reset your progress in exchange for a permanent multiplier, which restarts the curve from the beginning.

What was the first clicker game?

There is no single agreed first, and the lineage runs back further than most people expect. Progress Quest (2002) satirised role-playing grind by playing itself, and Cow Clicker (2010) was a deliberate satire of Facebook social games. Candy Box! and Cookie Clicker followed in 2013, and it was Cookie Clicker's success that made "clicker" a genre name rather than a joke.

What does prestige mean in a clicker game?

Prestige is a voluntary reset. You give up your accumulated progress in exchange for a permanent bonus — usually a multiplier — that makes the next run much faster. It is the mechanic that turns a game with an obvious ending into one you can keep playing indefinitely.

What does clicker mean in dog training?

It is a small handheld device that makes a sharp click, used as a marker in positive-reinforcement training. The click is sounded at the precise instant the animal performs the wanted behaviour, and is then followed by a reward, so the animal learns exactly which action earned the treat.

Is a clicker the same as a TV remote?

In informal North American English, yes — "clicker" is a common everyday word for a television remote control, a hangover from early remotes that made an audible click. Elsewhere, and in writing, "remote" or "remote control" is the usual term.

Example sentences

Real-world examples showing clicker in context, drawn from published sources. Any opinions expressed are those of the original source and do not reflect the views of FreeDict.com.

Fun Clicker by Voidder is the viral Scratch horror clicker that blew up on YouTube and TikTok — a game that looks like a cheerful clicker and slowly turns into something else.

From Fun Clicker

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