yikes

[yahyks]

interjection

1. (an exclamation of surprise or alarm.)

yikes

/ ˈjaiks /

interjection

1. informal,  an expression of surprise, fear, or alarm

Word History and Origins

Origin of yikes¹

First recorded in 1940–45; possibly from yoicks

Example Sentences

We all want the world to see us at our best – even if one person’s version of “best” is another’s “yikes.”

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Those sounds and smells wafted through that side of the building, but if I had lived in a single-family home, they may have come through my window — yikes!

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On behalf of Davidson . . . yikes.

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Here’s Car and Driver magazine on the Hummer EV’s capacity for abatement: “Slowing the massive machine to a stop from 70 mph took an extra-long 211 feet, and repeated runs resulted in noticeable brake fade. Yikes.”

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They can be summarized in one, simple word: yikes!

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