ickier; ickiest
: offensive to the senses or sensibilities : distasteful
put off by her icky tritenessRenata Adler
ickiness noun

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 Though their handiwork is often glimpsed too briefly, special makeup effects designer Patrick Magee and VFX supervisor Justin Martinez (both credited for the entire feature) contribute some vividly icky, grotesque images. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 4 Oct. 2024 Even if the end justifies the means, there’s something icky about the whole thing. Tanyel Mustafa, refinery29.com, 6 Sep. 2024 But in many instances viewers might have also felt, well, icky while watching the feud between animal collector Joe Exotic and conservationist Carole Baskin escalate all the way to murder-for-hire charges. Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 18 Aug. 2024 There’s also a brief Indiana Jones parody where, instead of a boulder, Barbie unleashes a gigantic unstoppable bald Barbie head with all the hair torn out and those icky little scalp holes showing. Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 8 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for icky 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'icky.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

perhaps baby talk alteration of sticky

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of icky was in 1929

Dictionary Entries Near icky

Cite this Entry

“Icky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/icky. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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