The Icks is a Slang Term for Being Grossed Out by a Former Relationship

By Vaibhavi On Dec 4, 2022

Have you ever been in the midst of a new relationship in which everything is perfect, effortless, and exciting, until, well, it’s no longer the case? Your new partner does or says something bizarre that completely repels you, leaving you to question why you were attracted to them in the first place.

What was once a blossoming new love has now turned into utter revulsion. This is referred to as “the icks” on TikTok.

In the latest trend on the social media app, users are sharing their own icks and asking others to share theirs. An ick is an unpleasant feeling that is difficult to shake.

Table of Contents

The Icks is a Slang Term for Being Grossed Out by a Former Relationship

“The icks” are essentially that shivering, repulsive feeling you get when viewing a new partner in an unflattering light, i.e. a turnoff. Whether they said something strange or did something completely out of the blue that only made you cringe, what’s done is done, and you now have “the icks” for that person.

On TikTok, hilarious examples of the icks have been circulating, and TikTok star Brittany Broski couldn’t even watch her entire video without laughing. “The first ick is when you’re in a car with a guy listening to music and he anticipates the beat drop but completely misses it.” She then requested that others post their own icks in the comment area.

“I ghosted a guy once because I spotted his butt crack when he got out of the car,” wrote user @breoniguess. “Fortnite flossing,” remarked a third player. “When he’s at a dance and everyone is dancing in a huddle, but he’s on the outside wanting to join in,” wrote a third participant.

The “Icks” Term Actually Originated From the U.k. Version of ‘Love Island

According to The Cut, the term “the icks” emerged on the popular dating reality show Love Island. “‘The ick’ was initially created by Olivia Attwood, a competitor on the reality dating show in 2017, who used it to characterize the demise of her relationship with fellow contestant Sam Gowland,” the outlet claimed.

They persisted, “She explained the concept from behind the scenes: “When you’ve seen a boy and gotten the ick, it stays.” “It has captured you and seized control of your body. It is disgusting. I cannot escape it.”

Actually, the ick is more than just a humorous phrase on TikTok. There is a scientific basis for this feeling we receive over minor actions performed by others. The Independent explored the emotion and its underlying causes.

Becky Spelman, a psychologist, stated that the ick typically occurs “after a period of mutual attraction and before the relationship has had a chance to mature into a stable, long-term situation.” Essentially, there is still sufficient “newness” for a minor factor to completely eradicate feelings of attraction.

She stated that the emotion may occur when “our unconscious mind reacts to some basic mismatches between us and the individual to whom we’ve just been drawn… We have decided to pursue a relationship with them despite these fundamental mismatches due to the initial flush of desire. However, when there are significant incompatibilities, issues are inevitable.”

The “Icks” Slang Has Made Its Way From Tiktok to Twitter

What began on TikTok has spread to other social media platforms, such as Twitter, where users tweet about their own icks. One user remarked that the new trend made her realize she may be single due to her growing list of “icks.”

She wrote, “TikTok has made me realize that icks are a real phenomenon and that I have many of them.” Another user wrote that icks have no place in romantic relationships. Additionally, friendship itches have begun to emerge. She wrote, “Can confirm friendship icks are 1,000 times worse”