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• tic
  tic

  noun
• -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

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

Once he realized Lindo and Jordan heard that offensive tic, he removed himself from the auditorium.

From Salon ● Mar. 1, 2026

Davidson described the emergence of a tic as a "gut-wrenching feeling in the middle of your stomach which slowly rises to your chest".

From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026

She did it again, a kind of nervous tic.

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

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

“What are your emotional tics or the things that soothe you or that just come with who you are that actually never change? What has changed was up to me.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2026

Normal run-of-the-mill people like me—except for a few discreet tics, sure, who doesn’t have something?—are the exception.

From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson

Related Words

• twitch