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slang.fyi

walking ick

/ˈwɔːkɪŋ ɪk/

Common

A person who constantly does things that kill attraction in others.

Usually said behind someone's back or as a joke. The humor comes from the exaggeration of calling a whole person a single feeling.

Real-world examples3 examples
#ExampleWhat it meansSource
01He's not a bad guy but he's literally a walking ick. I can't do it.The person is harmless but fundamentally unattractive in an inexplicable way.tiktok, 2024
02Every single thing he does gives me the ick. He's a walking ick at this point.The ick is no longer about individual actions but the person as a whole.x, 2024
03My last situationship was a walking ick and I stayed for 8 months anyway.The speaker was repulsed but kept the situationship going regardless.reddit, 2024

Use it when

  • Someone repeatedly does off-putting things, not just once.
  • You want to say someone's presence itself is unattractive to you.
  • Joking with friends about someone who keeps embarrassing themselves in dating situations.

Do not use it when

  • The person only did one specific thing that bothered you.Use “gave me the ick” instead.
  • You mean someone is a bad person or harmful.Use “red flag” instead.

Origin and context

Derived from the term 'the ick' by extending it to describe a person rather than a feeling. Emerged naturally as the ick concept spread across TikTok dating content.

First seen
mid-2020s
Confidence
low

Cite this page

Use this stable URL to reference the entry.

https://slang.fyi/walking-ick
Updated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0

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