äcklig

Swedish

Etymology

From äckel +‎ -lig. Cognate with German eklig and Norwegian Nynorsk ekkel.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /²ɛklɪ(ɡ)/

Adjective

äcklig (comparative äckligare, superlative äckligast)

1. disgusting (evoking a queasy feeling of disgust, like something potentially contagious, sometimes more or less figuratively), (except not informal) gross

   en äcklig toalett

   a disgusting toilet ["a toilet that evokes a queasy feeling of disgust" – "disgusting" sounds a bit stronger/different, but is the best straightforward translation]

   1. icky

      Jag tycker harkrankar är äckliga

      I think crane flies are disgusting/icky

   2. (of food) yucky

      Antonym: god

      Olle tycker sparris är äckligt

      Olle thinks asparagus is disgusting/yucky

Usage notes

• Äcklig is a good translation of disgusting when a queasy feeling is implied. In other cases, a word like vidrig, motbjudande, or hemsk is often better.
• Can also be thought of as icky/yucky/gross with the tone of disgusting.

Declension

Inflection of äcklig
Indefinite	Positive	Comparative	Superlative2
Common singular	äcklig	äckligare	äckligast
Neuter singular	äckligt	äckligare	äckligast
Plural	äckliga	äckligare	äckligast
Masculine plural3	äcklige	äckligare	äckligast
Definite	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Masculine singular1	äcklige	äckligare	äckligaste
All	äckliga	äckligare	äckligaste
1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine. 2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative. 3) Dated or archaic

Related terms

• äckel (“disgust”)
• äckla (“to disgust”)

See also

• avskyvärd
• frånstötande
• läbbig
• motbjudande
• snuskig (“gross”)
• vidrig

References

• äcklig in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• äcklig in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)