adjective
icky
IH-kee
adjective
1
Unpleasantly sticky, slimy, or disgusting.
"There was something icky stuck to the bottom of the seat."
"The soup turned an icky grey colour after sitting out overnight."
2
Overly sentimental or emotionally cloying.
"The film's ending was a bit icky, with everyone hugging and crying."
How to Use Icky
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishGross or unpleasant to touch or think about — or, for a story/film, over-the-top sappy.
When to use it
Casual, often used by or around children, but common in adult informal speech too.
Word Forms
ickier comparative, ickiest superlative
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Etymology
From 1930s American slang, likely a baby-talk form of "sick" filtered through the earlier term "icky-boo".