icky

icky
icky (adj.) 1935, American English, probably from icky-boo (c.1920) "sickly, nauseated," probably baby talk elaboration of SICK (Cf. sick). Originally a swing lover's term for more sentimental jazz music; in general use from 1938.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • icky — adj. 1. very bad; repulsive; unpleasant; distasteful. [informal] [WordNet sense 1] Syn: crappy, lousy, rotten, shitty, stinking, stinky. [WordNet 1.5] 2. sticky; as, icky, sticky goo. [WordNet sense 2] Syn: gooey. [WordNet 1.5] 3. Overly… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • icky — [adj] not pleasant disgusting, horrible, loathsome, nasty, noisome, offensive, repellent, revolting, sickening, vile; concept 570 Ant. good, nice, pleasing …   New thesaurus

  • icky — ☆ icky [ik′ē ] adj. ickier, ickiest [baby talk, short for STICKY] Slang 1. unpleasantly sticky or gluey 2. cloyingly sweet or sentimental 3. very distasteful; disgusting ickily adv. ickiness n …   English World dictionary

  • icky — bum·icky; col·icky; hys·ter·icky; icky; pan·icky; phthis·icky; phys·icky; rheu·mat·icky; sci·at·icky; fin·icky; …   English syllables

  • icky — [[t]ɪ̱ki[/t]] 1) ADJ ADJ GRADED (disapproval) If you describe something as icky, you mean that it is too emotional or sentimental. [mainly AM, INFORMAL] They ve even got one of those icky photos of themselves on the bedside table. 2) ADJ GRADED… …   English dictionary

  • icky — [“iki] mod. distasteful; nasty. □ What is this icky old stuff? □ This is icky. □ This was an icky day …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • icky — UK [ˈɪkɪ] / US adjective Word forms icky : adjective icky comparative ickier superlative ickiest spoken very unpleasant to touch, look at, smell, or taste …   English dictionary

  • icky — adjective (ickier; est) Etymology: perhaps baby talk alteration of sticky Date: 1929 offensive to the senses or sensibilities ; distasteful < put off by her icky triteness Renata Adler > • ickiness noun …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • icky — adjective a) unpleasantly sticky; yucky; disgusting I stepped in something icky and it smells terrible. b) excessively sentimental See Also: ick …   Wiktionary

  • icky — ick|y [ˈıki] adj spoken [Date: 1900 2000; Origin: Perhaps from sticky] very unpleasant, especially to look at, taste, or feel = ↑yucky ▪ There was some icky black stuff between the tiles …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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