yucky
Americanadjective
-
yuckier,
comparative
-
yuckiest
superlative
adjective
Usage
What does yucky mean? Yucky is a very informal adjective meaning gross, disgusting, or unappetizing. It’s based on yuck, which is an informal word you say when you think something is gross or disgusting. Yuck is an interjection, which is a term used to express an emotion or indicate how you feel about something, typically outside of a sentence. Yucky is primarily used to describe foods that you think are particularly disgusting or unappetizing. It can be used upon actually tasting something or simply upon looking at it, smelling, or maybe even feeling it—you could describe a food as yucky if it feels slimy, for example. Yucky is also sometimes used to describe other things considered disgusting, such as something filthy or unpleasant weather, as in The humidity is making it really yucky outside. It can also mean just plain bad, as in My day was yucky. Yucky is associated with its use by children and is often thought of as a childish word. (While yuck is often used by children, especially those refusing to eat their vegetables, it’s commonly used in many ways that don’t sound childish.)The word yummy can be thought of as the opposite of yucky, especially in response to food. It’s based on yum, an interjection used to indicate that you think something is delicious or looks appetizing (yum is often thought of as the opposite of yuck). Like yucky, yummy can also be used in contexts other than food, such as to express that something is appealing. Example: I’d rather eat my own socks than have even one bite of that yucky broccoli.
Other Word Forms
Adjective Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of yucky
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
You might as well tell Baltimore that Brooks Robinson was shaky at third and Old Bay on crabs is yucky.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2025
Some kids will find the gloppiness gross in a yucky way, but some will find it gross in an enticing way.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 26, 2023
“They feel yucky to me. They feel forced,” says Stefan Babcock, frontman of PUP, a raucous power punk band.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 15, 2022
Koncilya Romero skips yucky face paint, and uses regular makeup with a little water instead.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 14, 2022
"I hope Gregory isn't going to put anything yucky in anybody's dance bag today," George added.
From "The Cinderella Ballet Mystery: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #4" by Carolyn Keene
The plugs started getting, you know, thicker and greener, yuckier.
From Scientific American ● Nov. 4, 2021
All four performers are appealingly warm and likable, and their mature, matter-of-fact approach to the graphic language sets a helpful example for the audience in getting through the yuckier bits.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2019
“I don’t think this is any yuckier than the simple question of: ‘I’m going to die, so what happens now?’ ” he said.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 26, 2018
Adding money to the mix makes it all so much yuckier.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 28, 2018
And for the yuckiest story of the day, turn to the Guardian and its tale of "robo-roach".
From BBC ● Mar. 3, 2015
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
