YUCKY Synonyms: 119 Similar and Opposite Words

yucky

adjective

ˈyə-kē

variants also yukky

Definition of yucky

as in horrible

disagreeable or disgusting to the sense of taste a child at that age where every unfamiliar and untried food is preemptively dismissed as "yucky"

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in unpleasant

not giving pleasure to the mind or senses the weather is supposed to be yucky, so bring your jacket and umbrella

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of yucky Pour white vinegar down drains to banish yucky scents. — Emerson Latham, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 May 2026 Still, with this now primarily a corporate case for the defendants, and a lot of something yucky still to be flung at the docket by both sides heading towards trial, calmer heads and reputations ultimately prevailed. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 4 May 2026 Just like conventional cookies made with wheat, flavors and textures of gluten-free cookies vary wildly, from dry and crumbly to rich and chewy, and from deliciously munchable to yucky and forgettable. — Jolene Thym, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026 But these products can be expensive and frankly, yucky. — Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 28 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for yucky

Recent Examples of Synonyms for yucky

Adjective

There’s a big data center that just came to my community not long ago and their community engagement was horrible, absolutely horrible.

— Dustin DeSoto, Vox, 16 Oct. 2026
After the third day of squirting an experimental drug up his nose, Dylan Meetze felt horrible.

— Amy Maxmen, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of horrible

Adjective

From a computational perspective, Friston argues, attempting to reduce uncertainty—basically, working to avoid unpleasant surprises—is the brain’s primary goal.

— Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Adapted by Duffield and Daniel Kraus from Kraus’ 2023 novel, this spectacularly unpleasant underwater adventure delivers on its premise with effects that are graphic, fascinating, and occasionally beautiful.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of unpleasant

Adjective

Bajaria may also have hit thin ice with Sarandos after the streamer won just 16 Primetime Emmy Awards this year — its worst showing since 2016 and down from 30 in 2025.

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
The size of the boat, the distance from the tow boat's berth and how bad the boat is stuck will all factor into the final invoice.

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of bad

Adjective

The identity of the unpleasing Lindsay Marriott’s slayer has no pressing interest.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
The remarks not only referred to the aesthetics of the game – tedious matches devoid of skillful merit that were unpleasing to watch.

— Cesar R. Torres, The Conversation, 26 May 2026

Definition of unpleasing

Adjective

This results in a watery, unappetizing texture, according to Southern Living.

— Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026
The sugars react during high-heat cooking, causing potatoes to brown excessively and develop an unappetizing dark color or blotchy brown patches.

— Anne Wolf, Martha Stewart, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of unappetizing

Adjective

And now those still left in the battered city along Ukraine's southeastern front face death from hunger or disease as another harsh winter looms, with no agreement in sight for even a humanitarian evacuation.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Despite low winds and little rain, harsh surf continues to wreak havoc along Southern California's coastal communities.

— Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of harsh

Adjective

The polls still show a close-range contest, but in the increasingly nasty ad war, the spending suggests a far more lopsided fight.

— Philip Elliott, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
Officers then cuffed the youngster as he was loaded into an ambulance and hospitalized for a fractured femur and a nasty bruise on his head, according to the lawsuit, which was filed by the teen’s dad, Mahmoud Saleh, in Brooklyn Federal Court.

— John Annese, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of nasty

Adjective

My right pants leg was gone and among the smaller cuts an ugly gash puckered at me from the calf.

— Gerald R. Hunter, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026
The first attempts at a foldable smartphone in the 2010s from other companies tended to be fragile and not all that useful, with a big, ugly crease in the center interrupting the experience.

— Andrew R. Chow, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of ugly

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“Yucky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yucky. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of yucky

adjective

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