yikes

American  

[yahyks] / yaɪks /

interjection

1. (an exclamation of surprise or alarm.)

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yikes British  

/ ˈjaiks /

interjection

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

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Etymology

Origin of yikes

First recorded in 1940–45; possibly from yoicks

Example Sentences

You know the feeling when you hold Ohio State close and then they get a couple of big plays and you’re like, Oh yikes, here they come?

From The Wall Street Journal

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

From Salon

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!

From MarketWatch

On behalf of Davidson . . . yikes.

From Salon

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.”

From Slate