Ick definition: what "Ick" means and examples

February 10, 2026

A sudden, visceral feeling of repulsion or cringe toward another person.

"The ick" is a feeling of sudden cringe or repulsion toward someone you were previously attracted to. It is usually triggered by something very small or specific, like the way someone eats or a particular pair of shoes they wear. Once you get the ick, it is almost impossible to get rid of. For parents, this is a useful term to understand when your child suddenly loses interest in a crush for seemingly no significant reason at all.

Examples:

  1. "I liked him until I saw him run with a backpack on, I got the ick."
  2. "Seeing him struggle to open a door gave me the major ick."
  3. "I can't date her anymore, she gave me the ick yesterday."

We've compiled this dictionary of common teen slang to help parents communicate with their kids. SafetyMode is the world's most advanced parental safety app for phones, making any Android phone safe for kids. You can find out more and download the app just here.

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