Yikes
An exclamation of alarm, shock or embarrassment.
- Origin: recorded in the early 1940s; Green’s lists a 1941 US citation
- On the Slang-o-matic wheel: Gen Z (born 1997–2012). That is who the translator files it under, not a claim that this generation coined it.
What it means
Yikes is an exclamation of surprise, worry or shock. Cambridge Dictionary says it is “used to show that you are worried, surprised, or shocked,” labels it “informal usually humorous,” and gives the example “I start my new job tomorrow. Yikes!”
Where it comes from
Yikes is older than many people expect. Dictionary.com dates it to 1940–45 and suggests it may come from yoicks, an older exclamation. Green’s Dictionary of Slang lists a 1941 college newspaper from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, joking at Thanksgiving: “they get the axe and we get the bird. Yikes!”
Green’s records examples from 1941 through a 2023 novel.
Who says it now
The translator files yikes under Gen Z by its own convention, though Green’s earliest listed citation is from 1941. In our observation younger speakers often use it as a reaction to something awkward or cringeworthy, a kind of secondhand embarrassment, as well as to bad news.
Tone
Mild and a little comic. It takes the edge off bad news, which can be kind or, if the news is serious, can sound like it is being brushed off. A single text reply of “yikes” can feel cold.
What adults hear, what kids mean
An adult may hear yikes as cartoonish alarm. A teenager replying “yikes” to a parent’s joke may be saying the joke was awkward, not scary. Tone and timing usually show which one is meant.
How to use it
Yikes usually stands alone or opens a sentence: “Yikes, that was close.” As a reply to a story, a flat “yikes” can mean “that is awkward” or “that is not good.”
Two examples, written by us:
- Yikes, I forgot to put the casserole in the oven.
- He replied-all to the whole school with his grocery list. Yikes.
How to answer it
If someone says yikes about something you told them, they are reacting to how bad or awkward it sounds. “I know, right?” works if it was funny. If it was serious, you can say so and ask for real help.
Same idea, other generations
The Slang-o-matic wheel files Yikes under Gen Z for the idea of something bad or disappointing. These are the words it files under the same idea, by generation. They are related, not always exact translations:
Related slang
- Fail (Millennials): An embarrassing mistake or flop; epic fail is the big version.
- Snatched (Gen Z): Looking perfectly put together.
- Clean (Gen Alpha): Sharp, stylish, well put together.
Try the slang translatorAll slang by generation
Sources
Meanings and dates on this page come from these dictionaries. Each quote is copied word for word from the linked page.
- Cambridge Dictionary
“exclamation informal usually humorous”
“used to show that you are worried, surprised, or shocked: I start my new job tomorrow. Yikes!”
- Dictionary.com
“Origin of yikes First recorded in 1940–45; possibly from yoicks”
- Green's Dictionary of Slang
“an excl. of surprise or shock.”
“1941 The Coe College Cosmos (Cedar Rapids, IA) 19 Nov.”
“they get the axe and we get the bird. Yikes!”
“2023 J. Jackson Pineapple Street 137: 'Oh, God, yikes.'”