intj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/jaɪks/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -aɪks
CMU ARPABET:Y AY1 K S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
intj
Meaning 1
Expression of shock and alarm.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: humorous, informal, often
Examples
Yikes! A monster!
Then she told me I was ‘beautiful, for a black girl’. —Yikes!
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
intj
Meaning 2
Expression of empathy with unpleasant or undesirable circumstances.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: humorous, informal, often
Examples
John has lost his job and can't pay his mortgage; yikes!
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Attested from mid-20th century, perhaps derived from yoicks, a hunting call used to urge hounds after a fox, which is attested from 1765–1775, that also is sometimes used as an exclamation of excitement or triumph. Yoicks is perhaps related to the earlier hoicks. Hoicks (alternatively hoick, hoic or hoik) is a variant of hyke, which was used as an exclamation of encouragement to hounds hunting deer. Further etymology unknown. Alternatively, it may be derived from yipes, which is an earlier exclamation of similar usage as yikes (and is often considered to be an alternative form of yikes). Yipes may be derived from yipe, which itself may be derived from the yie sound often used to express pain or dismay, with the -p adding onto it in the same way as yep and nope. Or, yipes may be derived from the yipping sound that dogs make. Or, possibly a conflation of both of the previous.
Across languages
Translations
31 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
renoi
— expression of shock and alarm
Catalan:
caram
— expression of shock and alarm
Esperanto:
hu
— expression of shock and alarm
Esperanto:
ve
— expression of shock and alarm
Esperanto:
aj
— expression of shock and alarm
Esperanto:
ho
— expression of shock and alarm
Esperanto:
skorzonero
— expression of shock and alarm
Finnish:
hui
— expression of shock and alarm
Finnish:
iik
— expression of shock and alarm
French:
houlà
— expression of shock and alarm
German:
huch
— expression of shock and alarm
German:
o Schreck
— expression of shock and alarm
Hungarian:
jesszus
— expression of shock and alarm
Hungarian:
jaj
— expression of shock and alarm
Italian:
accidenti
— expression of shock and alarm
Māori:
aī
— expression of shock and alarm
Portuguese:
credo!
— expression of shock and alarm
Portuguese:
cruzes!
— expression of shock and alarm
Spanish:
ostras
— expression of shock and alarm
Spanish:
caray
— expression of shock and alarm
Spanish:
cielos
— expression of shock and alarm
Spanish:
caramba
— expression of shock and alarm
Spanish:
huy
— expression of shock and alarm
Spanish:
ño
— expression of shock and alarm
Esperanto:
ve
— expression of empathy with unpleasant or undesirable circumstances
Finnish:
auts
— expression of empathy with unpleasant or undesirable circumstances
Finnish:
jopas
— expression of empathy with unpleasant or undesirable circumstances
Russian:
ой
(oj)
— expression of empathy with unpleasant or undesirable circumstances
Russian:
ай
(aj)
— expression of empathy with unpleasant or undesirable circumstances
Russian:
ох
(ox)
— expression of empathy with unpleasant or undesirable circumstances
Russian:
ах
(ax)
— expression of empathy with unpleasant or undesirable circumstances
