touchy

[ tuhch-ee ]

adjective

, touch·i·er, touch·i·est.

1. apt to take offense on slight provocation; irritable:

   He is very touchy when he's sick.

   Synonyms: cranky, snappish, edgy, irascible, testy

2. requiring caution, tactfulness, or expert handling; precarious; risky:

   a touchy subject; a touchy situation.

3. sensitive to touch.
4. easily ignited, as tinder.

touchy

/ ˈtʌtʃɪ /

adjective

1. easily upset or irritated; oversensitive
2. extremely risky
3. easily ignited

Derived Forms

• ˈtouchiness, noun
• ˈtouchily, adverb

Other Words From

• touchi·ly adverb
• touchi·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of touchy¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; variant of techy ² (a variant of tetchy ( def ) ), by association with touch

Synonym Study

See irritable.

Example Sentences

There are plenty of touchy subjects I am happy to discuss with my patients and their families.

From The Daily Beast

And second, movies are a particularly touchy subject for the Hermit Kingdom.

From The Daily Beast

Nobody else was as forthright with me about this touchy topic.

From The Daily Beast

The question of military service is a touchier issue—but is it touchy enough to break up the band?

From The Daily Beast

But could sharp elbows and a touchy personality knock out this frontrunner too?

From The Daily Beast

For goodness' sake, don't take to gettin' touchy like some people are!

From Project Gutenberg

No small stint I had of it too; for he was peevish and touchy as a young badger.

From Project Gutenberg

Yet the intrinsic quality of the event moved his touchy sensitiveness less than its conjectured effect upon the minds of others.

From Project Gutenberg

We been hearing down at the camp you were so mighty touchy you didn't allow a man within a rod of the line.

From Project Gutenberg

The boney finger moved inward from the trigger guard and closed ever so gently about the touchy, hair-filed trigger—then waited.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• delicate
• dicey
• hypersensitive
• jumpy
• precarious
• risky
• sensitive
• testy
• ticklish
• tricky
• uptight
• volatile