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• tic
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• -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

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

He has a facial tic that he blames on his concussions and a limp stemming from back problems.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 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

Accompanying that rage was a fresh explosion of ignorance about Tourette syndrome, the condition that caused Davidson to tic involuntarily throughout last Sunday’s ceremony.

From Salon ● Mar. 1, 2026

She did it again, a kind of nervous tic.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Conducted this week by correspondent Eric Cortellessa and top editor Sam Jacobs, the 11,000-word interview is in some ways an unremarkable artifact of the president’s usual tics: run-on sentences, bluster, insults, lies.

From Slate ● Oct. 2, 2026

He later said he was "deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning".

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Cage plays Roy, a gifted con artist with obsessive-compulsive disorder whose tics, phobias and elaborate rituals have turned his immaculate home into a fortress against the world.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

The film charts a course through Davidson’s life from the start of his tics as a teenager up until he was presented an award by Queen Elizabeth II in 2019, another venue where he swore.

From Salon ● Apr. 26, 2026

“Maybe not that kind of stuff. I may not have tics, but I still have to deal with people staring at me and treating me like I’m different.”

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

Related Words

• twitch