touchy

American  

[tuhch-ee] / ˈtʌtʃ i /

adjective

touchier, touchiest

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 British  

/ ˈtʌtʃɪ /

adjective

1. easily upset or irritated; oversensitive

2. extremely risky

3. easily ignited

---

Related Words

See irritable.

Other Word Forms

• touchily adverb
• touchiness noun

Etymology

Origin of touchy

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

Example Sentences

One touchy subject he doesn’t evade: the push for racial diversity in orchestras.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

“They have to get it legally approved and it’s touchy in terms of what they can use,” Sahai said.

From Los Angeles Times

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

"He captures Dylan's craning stance and the way he used hair and sunglasses as a mask, the insistent buzz and keen of his speaking and singing voice and the odd, touchy, insularity."

From BBC

Related Words

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