untouched
Americanadjective
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not touched or handled, as material.
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not explored or visited.
untouched lands.
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not eaten or drunk.
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remaining in a pristine state; unchanged.
an untouched innocent; an untouched world.
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not injured or hurt; undamaged.
untouched by the exploding bombs.
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not affected or altered.
She was untouched by the life around her.
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emotionally unmoved; indifferent.
She was left untouched by the music.
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not mentioned or described, as in conversation or a book.
an untouched subject.
adjective
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not used, handled, touched, etc
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not injured or harmed
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(postpositive) emotionally unmoved
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not changed, modified, or affected
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(of food or drink) left without being consumed
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not mentioned or referred to
he left the subject untouched
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of untouched
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at un- 1, touch, -ed 2
Explanation
Something untouched has literally not been touched (like the untouched spinach on your plate), or has not been emotionally moved (like the hardened criminal who remains untouched throughout his victim's testimony). If you're not moved to some emotion, you're untouched, and if your dog doesn't eat his dinner, you'll see an untouched bowl of kibble still sitting there in the morning. You might find it hard to remain untouched by the fresh, white, untouched snow. This adjective comes from touched, which can mean "emotionally moved" or "physically affected." Add the "not" prefix un-, and you get untouched.
Vocabulary lists containing untouched
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.
For decades, they remained largely untouched, but researchers have now deciphered them, uncovering texts that range from magical rituals to royal records and everyday administrative notes.
From Science Daily • May 5, 2026
It was a voyage that promised passengers the trip of a lifetime traversing some of the Atlantic's most rugged and untouched landscapes.
From BBC • May 5, 2026
This new fund would be invested in equities and other risky assets and allowed to grow untouched for the next 75 years.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026
In between, a pivotal Supreme Court ruling against President Trump’s tariffs, and a broadening fear over AI’s disruption to key sectors, left few corners of the market untouched.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
She sees innocence, the untouched kingdom the great leader slain the great empty hole shaped like the child growing large and becoming grand.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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.
