big yikes
An emphatic reaction to something especially awkward, embarrassing, or uncomfortable.
By Cal Hewitt, Founder at Web Leveling · Researched from public sources ·
What it actually means
Big yikes intensifies yikes. It signals a stronger-than-usual reaction to a bad take, an awkward moment, or a visible mistake. It can be sincere or a dry, joking reaction in a comment.
See the quick definition in the big yikes dictionary entry.
Where it came from
Big yikes is a transparent intensification of the older interjection yikes. Dictionary.com dates yikes to 1940-45, while a single coiner or exact first use of the expanded phrase is not documented.
No single person is credited, the origin is commonly reported.
Where it's popular
Social-media replies, group chats, and everyday English-language online conversation.
It is a broad reaction phrase, not a term with a single documented regional source.
How it caught on
- 1940-45Dictionary.com first records yikes as an expression of surprise, fear, or alarm.
- 2010sOnline reaction culture uses big as a productive intensifier before reaction words.
- 2024FamilyEducation describes big yikes as an exaggerated response to discomfort, embarrassment, or cringe.
How to use it
“Big yikes, that reply made the situation worse.”
Reacting to an awkward public comment.
“He forgot his own presentation. Big yikes.”
Reacting to an embarrassing mistake.
Common mix-ups
It is not necessarily an insult toward a person. It is a reaction to a situation, decision, or moment.
Do you actually know it?
How big is the yikes?
0/31. What does big yikes usually react to?
2. Which word does big yikes intensify?
3. Can big yikes be used jokingly?
Related slang
Questions people ask
What does big yikes mean?
It means something is especially awkward, embarrassing, or uncomfortable.
Is big yikes stronger than yikes?
Yes. Big works as an intensifier, making the reaction more emphatic.
Is big yikes always serious?
No. It is often used playfully or dryly in online reactions.
The phrase is built from an older exclamation: yikes was already recorded in the 1940s.