big yikes
/bɪɡ jaɪks/
CommonAn intensified reaction of secondhand embarrassment, cringe, or shock at something awkward or bad.
Always reactive. Can be sympathetic or judgmental depending on tone. Sometimes humorous, sometimes genuinely horrified.
Real-world examples3 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | He proposed at her sister's wedding. Big yikes. | The situation is extremely inappropriate and cringeworthy. | reddit, 2023 |
| 02 | Just saw my ex's new tattoo. Big yikes. | The tattoo is embarrassingly bad. | x, 2024 |
| 03 | That apology video was a big yikes from start to finish. | The entire video was cringeworthy and poorly executed. | youtube, 2023 |
Use it when
- Something is deeply embarrassing or cringeworthy.
- Someone did or said something shockingly inappropriate.
- A situation is uncomfortable and you want to react.
Do not use it when
- Something is only mildly awkward.Use “yikes” instead.
- You are describing genuine tragedy or harm.
Variations and related forms
Big yikes vs oof
big yikes
Big yikes expresses cringe or secondhand embarrassment at something awkward.
VS
oof
Oof expresses sympathy or a wincing reaction to something painful or unfortunate.
Origin and context
An intensified form of yikes, which itself is an exclamation of surprise or alarm. Big yikes emerged as internet culture adopted and amplified reaction words in the late 2010s.
- First seen
- late-2010s
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/big-yikesUpdated: 2026-08-25License: CC BY 4.0