touchy
Americanadjective
adjective
-
easily upset or irritated; oversensitive
-
extremely risky
-
easily ignited
Related Words
See irritable.
Other Word Forms
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.
It is recalling Discovery Craft Box items sold between August 2025 and April 2026, and Touchy Feely Craft Box items - listed as Sensory Craft Box - sold between March 2025 and April 2026.
From BBC • May 1, 2026
Touchy: For people who have taken a tough stance, you and your wife seem especially vulnerable to the opinions of others.
From Washington Post • Nov. 19, 2021
I had the great pleasure of working with Lynn Shelton on Touchy Feely.
From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2020
Touchy about being caricatured as a flighty tycoon, Mr. Bloomberg bristled at any implication that he was flirting with a run for the attention.
From New York Times • Dec. 22, 2019
After having paid their respects to Sir ROGER, Will told him that Mr. Touchy and he must appeal to him upon a dispute that arose between them.
From The Coverley Papers by Various
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.
