as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses
the novel has an icky sentimentality that makes my skin crawl
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Recent Examples of icky
Ultimately, Franco jettisons his characters for the sake of unearned plot twists that leave the viewer feeling only icky.
—
Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
Cosell, for want of a better word, could be icky, especially around young actresses.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 16 Feb. 2026
Let that be a recommendation for those who aren’t shy about these things, which run the gamut from eye-poppingly (or, as audiences will soon learn, eye-twistingly) icky, very impressive, and even occasionally playful.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
Who among us hasn’t put off icky things such as a tedious work assignment, a fridge deep clean or a difficult conversation?
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for icky
Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
Cosell, for want of a better word, could be icky, especially around young actresses.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 16 Feb. 2026
Let that be a recommendation for those who aren’t shy about these things, which run the gamut from eye-poppingly (or, as audiences will soon learn, eye-twistingly) icky, very impressive, and even occasionally playful.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
Who among us hasn’t put off icky things such as a tedious work assignment, a fridge deep clean or a difficult conversation?
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for icky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for icky
Adjective
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The response from me is very unpleasant, and then my husband gets all uncomfortable.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Finally, a carbon filter is used to eliminate odors such as ammonia, cigarette smoke, hydrogen sulfide, and other pollutants that emit unpleasant smells.—
John R. Delaney,
PC Magazine,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The lawyers also argue that Combs' sentence was too harsh, saying the trial judge wrongly based it in part on a conclusion that the crimes involved fraud and coercion and that Combs was a leader or organizer of criminal activity.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Focused on a 2021 expedition in which Icelandic climber John Snorri Sigurjónsson and the Pakistani father-and-son team Ali and Sajid Sadpara attempt to become the first to summit K2 in winter, when conditions are at their harshest.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Usually a team of elegant offense, Michigan instead clanked 13 triples off the rim and relied on its inside defensive ferocity to win a game nearly as aesthetically unpleasing as UConn’s 53-41 win over Butler in 2011.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2026
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Rosemary makes one of the best companion plants for apple trees because of its strong scent that's unpleasing to critters looking to snack on a juicy red apple.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Gas and diesel prices have soared since the start of the Iran war, but the situation could get even worse later this year because of ethanol requirements and problems with fertilizer supply chains.—
E.J. Antoni,
Boston Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
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Flattening the curve—making bad floods somewhat less bad—feels achievable.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Bisontis’ pass-protection profile doesn’t need a publicist, but his ceiling depends on how much nastier and more consistent the run-blocking becomes.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2026
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Andoni Iraola’s side is nasty to play against.—
Jackie Powell,
NBC news,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
While not the pastor of the United States, Trump surely represents the face of the United States on a daily basis, and that face is an ugly one.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
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Featuring the good, the bad and the ugly, ‘Look of the Week’ is a regular series dedicated to unpacking the most talked about outfit of the last seven days.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Drohan has overcome significant injury adversity to reach the majors, but his dream moment took a sour turn when his command abandoned him in the bottom of the third.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
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Views on economy dive as gas prices surge Views of the state’s economic future have also grown more sour amid general economic malaise nationally and rising prices.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Zack James’ shifty drumming hammers out a drum ’n’ bass redux like a panicked heartbeat while Carney Hemler’s bass lurches in slow motion, replicating the gut drop of a horrible realization.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
3 Apr. 2026
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Fendelman captured that horrible silence in the doc, punctuated by Littlejohn’s niece screaming, feral and raw.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Icky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/icky. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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