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• tic
  tic
• -tic
  -tic

  a suffix, equivalent in meaning to -ic, occurring in adjectives of Greek origin (analytic ), used especially in the formation of adjectives from nouns with stems in -sis: hematotic; neurotic.

tic

¹ American  

[tik] / tɪk /

noun

• tics
  plural

1. Pathology.

   1. a sudden, spasmodic, painless, involuntary muscular contraction, as of the face.

   2. tic douloureux.

2. a persistent or recurrent behavioral trait; personal quirk.

   her distinctive verbal tics.

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-tic ² American  

1. a suffix, equivalent in meaning to -ic, occurring in adjectives of Greek origin (analytic ), used especially in the formation of adjectives from nouns with stems in -sis: hematotic; neurotic.

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tic British  

/ tɪk /

noun

1. spasmodic twitching of a particular group of muscles

2. See tic douloureux

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• tics
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tic¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; from French (of expressive origin)

Origin of -tic²

< Greek -tikos, extracted from adjectives derived with -ikos -ic from agent nouns ending in -tēs; cf. hieratic

Explanation

When a muscle moves or spasms suddenly, it's a tic. You can also think of a tic as a habitual movement. If you have an urge to blink your eyes, move your head in a certain way, or clear your throat repeatedly, each of those movements can be described as tics. Some people make unintentional vocal sounds that experts call phonic tics. Some tics are completely involuntary, while others are more of a response to a strong urge. More generally, you can use this word for a word you use habitually when you speak or write. If you participate in a formal debate, you'll want to eliminate your tic of saying "um" at the beginning of sentences.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tic tics

She assumed it would pass, but it was a vocal tic and her first known manifestation of her Tourette's syndrome, a condition that causes people to make sudden, repetitive sounds or movements.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

It turned out that the pitching phenom who had been seemingly unhittable back home was tipping his pitches—unknowingly letting hitters know what was coming through a tic in his setup or delivery.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

Actors in the production lip-sync the actual audio, reproducing every hesitation, interruption and verbal tic.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

Not because of anything dramatic, not because of some special flaw within you, but because you are guilty of the most common tic in how humans navigate existence—turning others into objects.

From Slate ● Mar. 16, 2026

It was clear that he rather liked Clinton and that he wanted Clinton’s expression to have been no more than a meaningless facial tic.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Cole's vocal tics tend to include the names of her husband, her son or the family cat or random phrases such as "good night" during the day time.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

Everyone John meets in “I Swear” is either aghast by his tics or accepts them without struggle.

From Salon ● Apr. 26, 2026

He said he worked with real-life identical twins as consultants to fully understand the dynamics which led him to add "subtle nuances and behavioural tics" to differentiate the two.

From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2026

Davidson, an executive producer of the film, left midway through the ceremony and said in a statement he was “deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2026

I guess the tics probably made it harder for him to play, as well.

From "Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" by Dusti Bowling

Related Words

• twitch