touchy
Americanadjective
-
touchier,
comparative
-
touchiest
superlative
adjective
-
easily upset or irritated; oversensitive
-
extremely risky
-
easily ignited
Synonym Usage
See irritable.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of touchy
First recorded in 1595–1605; variant of techy 2 (a variant of tetchy ( def. ) ), by association with touch
Explanation
Things that are touchy are hard to handle — not literally, but to talk about. Touchy subjects make people upset. There are a lot of touchy topics in life. Religion is a big one, since people have such different yet strong beliefs. Racism and sexism are touchy. Politics can be touchy. Asking someone how old they are or what they weigh are very touchy questions. Something is touchy if you need to handle it with kid gloves — or maybe avoid the topic altogether. People often use euphemisms — soft, evasive terms — for touchy subjects, to make discussing them easier.
Vocabulary lists containing touchy
The Catcher in the Rye
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Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life
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The Battle of the Labyrinth
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Dealings with Saudi Arabia have been a touchy subject in Hollywood since the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 19, 2025
Apparently veterans are very touchy about changing that and Trump seems to have dropped it.
From Salon ● May 28, 2025
The creation — and Carter’s expansion — of Redwood National Park has long been a touchy subject along California’s rural, economically depressed North Coast, where the once-thriving logging industry cratered over the last half-century.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2025
In most touchy situations where she’s called the play, the numbers moved because people trusted her instincts.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2024
We were getting close to a touchy subject.
From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan
After all, this conversation isn’t totally unlike one you might have with a potential roommate, even if familial obligations make it a bit touchier.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2025
Public safety issues prompted some of the touchier debates inside the Capitol.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 24, 2023
There is also the touchier question of how to address the legacy of both composers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2022
How do you navigate a touchier scene like that?
From Washington Post ● Oct. 5, 2022
“Wizards and magic are a touchier subject we won’t get into.”
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
And food is one of the touchiest characteristics for sure.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 21, 2023
Beyond sibling dynamics, let’s talk about the touchiest part of this.
From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2021
The book’s timing remains among the touchiest of topics.
From New York Times ● Jun. 28, 2020
He willingly wades into the NBA MVP debate, the touchiest of all NBA topics.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 23, 2017
He was about the touchiest guy I ever met.
From "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
