The Ick Meaning: What It Is and Where It Came From
A crush can end in a second, and the ick is the name for it: a sudden feeling of disgust or dislike that turns you off someone you were attracted to, often because of something they did. In Merriam-Webster’s definition the change is permanent, and the term is sometimes used outside romance too. Checked against Merriam-Webster Slang: ick
For more terms like it, browse our social media glossary.
The Ick Meaning: A Sudden Turn-Off
So what is the ick, in dictionary terms? A sudden turn-off: disgust or dislike that ends your attraction to someone, often set off by something they do. Three dictionaries record it, and they differ on how final it is:
- Merriam-Webster: “a sudden feeling of disgust or repulsion that causes a permanent reversal in feeling toward a romantic (or potential romantic) partner.” Checked against Merriam-Webster Slang: ick
- Dictionary.com: slang for “a sudden feeling of disgust or dislike, often in response to the actions of another person.” Checked against Dictionary.com: ick
- Cambridge Dictionary, marked informal: “a sudden feeling that you dislike someone or something or are no longer attracted to someone because of something they do.” Checked against Cambridge Dictionary: ick
Only Merriam-Webster makes the change permanent. Cambridge’s “someone or something” and Merriam-Webster’s note on broader use both leave room for icks outside dating.
An example we wrote: “Great first date, then he was rude to the waiter. Instant ick.”
Dictionary.com also lists a separate, chiefly British informal sense in which the ick is simply an illness, such as a cold or flu, so “I’ve had the ick all week” can just mean you’ve been unwell. Checked against Dictionary.com: ick
Where Did the Ick Come From?
The dating sense of the ick goes back to a late-1990s episode of the TV show Ally McBeal, though the dictionaries disagree on the year. Merriam-Webster says the episode aired in 1998; Dictionary.com names it “Once in a Lifetime,” a 1999 episode, and says the term was then rarely used until the later 2010s.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1967 | Merriam-Webster’s first known use of “ick” as an interjection of disgust, long before the noun |
| 1998 or 1999 | An Ally McBeal episode is credited with the dating sense of “the ick” |
| 2003 | The phrase also turns up in an episode of Sex and the City, Merriam-Webster notes |
| 2015 | Love Island launches on ITV2; Dictionary.com says the show seems to have helped popularize the term |
| Later 2010s | Use picks up after years of rarity, Dictionary.com says |
| Early 2020s | Very popular on social media, according to Dictionary.com |
| 2024 | Cambridge Dictionary adds it |
Checked against Merriam-Webster Dictionary: ick (Internet Archive capture).Archived copy, 25 August 2026 View the archived copy.
Checked against Merriam-Webster Slang: ick.
Checked against Dictionary.com Slang Dictionary: the ick (September 12, 2023).
Checked against ITV Press Centre: Love Island: All Stars set to launch on ITV2 and ITVX in 2024 (4 Sep 2023).
When Did the Ick Get Into the Dictionary?
Cambridge Dictionary added the ick in 2024. Cambridge University Press & Assessment announced on 24 July 2024 that “the ick” was among more than 3,200 words added to the Cambridge Dictionary that year. Checked against Cambridge University Press & Assessment: Boop! Over 3,200 words added to the Cambridge Dictionary for 2024 (24 Jul 2024)
Is the Ick a Real Psychology Term?
No. Dictionary.com notes that the ick is not a term used in psychology, though it adds that experts, whom it doesn’t name, describe it as a common reaction that may act as a defense mechanism. Treat that as a loose observation, not a clinical finding: the ick is everyday slang for a feeling, not a diagnosis. Checked against Dictionary.com Slang Dictionary: the ick (September 12, 2023)
What Are Icks? The Plural Use
An ick can also be the trigger rather than the feeling. Merriam-Webster notes that ick, often without “the,” is also used for the cause of the disgust itself, as in “a list of icks.” So “I got the ick” describes the feeling, while “my biggest ick” names the habit behind it. Checked against Merriam-Webster Slang: ick
For instance (ours): “Biggest ick: leaving a shopping cart in the middle of the parking lot.”
Keep ick lists about behavior. Lists that mock bodies, disabilities or anything else a person can’t change aren’t jokes; they’re punching down.
Brand Icks: What Makes Followers Recoil
A brand ick is the same sudden turn-off aimed at an account: one post that makes a follower cringe and see the whole brand differently. The reaction might be a side-eye in the comments or a quiet unfollow. These are the patterns we’d avoid, offered as editorial judgment rather than research:
- Slang that doesn’t fit the brand, from an account that never talks that way.
- Nonstop flexing. Weekly posts about awards, follower milestones and revenue turn the feed into one long flex.
- One caption pasted everywhere, whoever is reading.
- Jokes that punch down, at customers, a group or a stranger’s viral moment.
- Bad timing. A cheerful promo landing in the middle of bad news. If you schedule ahead, check the queue when news breaks.
Not every lost follower is an ick: our guide to why you’re losing followers on Instagram covers the reasons Instagram itself gives. For tone, how to write engaging captions covers hooks and voice, and the free Instagram caption generator gives you drafts to edit.
The simplest guard is time: draft posts ahead, reread them the next day and space out promotions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did ‘the ick’ come from?
The dating sense comes from a late-1990s episode of the TV show Ally McBeal: Merriam-Webster says it aired in 1998, while Dictionary.com names ‘Once in a Lifetime’, a 1999 episode.
What gives people the ick?
Usually something the other person does. Cambridge Dictionary defines the ick as a sudden feeling that you dislike someone or are no longer attracted to them because of something they do, and Dictionary.com calls it a sudden feeling of disgust or dislike, often in response to another person’s actions.
Why do people get the ick?
Dictionaries don’t give a scientific answer, and Dictionary.com notes that the ick is not a term used in psychology. Its slang entry adds that experts, whom it doesn’t name, call the ick a common reaction that may act as a defense mechanism.
What are common icks?
There’s no official list. Merriam-Webster notes that ick, often without ‘the’, is also used for the cause of the disgust itself, as in ‘a list of icks’. A personal list might include being rude to waiting staff or replying ‘k.’ to a long message.