Squicky

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Informal slang for something that makes a person feel grossed out, uneasy or squeamish, especially due to its gruesome or unpleasant nature
2. Describing something that provokes a queasy, recoiling reaction, often because it seems icky, creepy or distasteful to the viewer
3. Characterizing material or content that unsettles people with its disgusting or uncomfortable qualities, as in casual online conversation

Etymology: "Squicky" is built from "squick", a slang word, plus the common adjective suffix "-y", so its history is essentially the history of "squick" itself. The adjective means something that causes mild disgust or unease, usually from a physical or gross-out detail rather than from anything truly frightening. The suffix is the older and more traceable part. The "-y" ending, which turns nouns and verbs into adjectives meaning "characterised by" or "having the quality of," has been in English since Old English, where it appeared as "-ig." Words like "dusty" and "bloody" use the same ending, so "squicky" simply joins a long line of ordinary descriptive adjectives.

Synonyms: icky, gross, creepy

Antonyms: appealing