1
: local and habitual spasmodic motion of particular muscles especially of the face : twitching
2
: a frequent usually unconscious quirk of behavior or speech
"you know" is a verbal tic

Examples of tic in a Sentence

The verbal tic “you know” often occurs in her speech. constantly playing with her hair is one of her more annoying tics
Recent Examples on the Web The tics typically begin to manifest between the ages of 2 and 15, and males are three to four times more likely to develop the disorder than females. Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 Gyllenhaal never resorts to obvious tells or tics to differentiate the characters — their subtly distinct dispositions are more than enough to make the difference clear —and they're both fully realized roles in their own right. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 29 Feb. 2024 An Arizona mother said her 7-year-old developed severe tics, a problem one French study has tied to the drug. Benjamin Mueller, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2024 Memories resurface as tics, gestures, obsessions—the condensations of meaning that Freud called neurotic symptoms. Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 19 Dec. 2023 Just 11 months ago, the 18-year-old faced daily struggles with involuntary tics and outbursts that forced him into isolation. David Begnaud, CBS News, 15 Dec. 2023 Callum, who is from Pennsylvania, has an incredibly severe case of Tourette's, a neurological disorder that can cause tics ranging from repetitive eye blinking to uncontrollable vocal — and physical — outbursts. David Begnaud, CBS News, 15 Dec. 2023 Dupree, now boasting 9.1 million followers on TikTok, experiences tics that often include profanity, which occurs in only about 10% of people with the disorder. People Staff, Peoplemag, 14 Dec. 2023 Some people might experience seizures, loss of limb function, tics, facial spasms, difficulties with speech, and loss of hearing and vision. Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 4 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French

First Known Use

circa 1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tic was circa 1834

Dictionary Entries Near tic

Cite this Entry

“Tic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tic. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tic

noun
1
: a regularly repeated twitching movement of a particular muscle and especially one of the face
2
: a particular form of behavior or speech that is often repeated
"you know" is a verbal tic

Medical Definition

tic

noun
1
: local and habitual spasmodic motion of particular muscles especially of the face : twitching
2
: a habitual usually unconscious quirk of behavior or speech

More from Merriam-Webster on tic

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