itch
Americanverb (used without object)
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itches,
present (3rd person singular)
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itched,
past participle, past
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itching
present participle
-
to have or feel a peculiar tingling or uneasy irritation of the skin that causes a desire to scratch the part affected.
My nose itches.
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to cause such a feeling.
This shirt itches.
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Informal. to scratch a part that itches.
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to have a desire to do or get something.
to itch after fame.
verb (used with object)
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itches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
itched,
past participle, past
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itching
present participle
noun
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itches
plural
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the sensation of itching.
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an uneasy or restless desire or longing.
an itch for excitement.
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Usually the itch a contagious disease caused by the itch mite, which burrows into the skin.
noun
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an irritation or tickling sensation of the skin causing a desire to scratch
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a restless desire
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any skin disorder, such as scabies, characterized by intense itching
verb
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(intr) to feel or produce an irritating or tickling sensation
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(intr) to have a restless desire (to do something)
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not_standard to scratch (the skin)
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a grasping nature; avarice
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to be restless; have a desire to travel
Usage
What’s the difference between itch and scratch? An itch is a feeling of irritation on the skin, often one that makes you want to scratch it (scrape it or rub it). The word itch can also be used as a verb meaning to have this sensation (as in My leg itches) or to cause to itch (as in The tag on my shirt keeps itching me). Itch also has some more figurative meanings as both a noun and a verb. The reason you looked this up, though, is because itch is sometimes informally used to mean the same thing as scratch, as in Try not to itch your mosquito bites—it will only make them itchier! Language purists are often itching to clarify that you scratch an itch, but this verb use of itch is quite common. As a noun, the word scratch means something different—a cut or scrape, typically a minor one caused by something having scratched the skin, as in I got a few scratches from the thornbush. Here’s an example of itch and scratch used correctly in the same sentence. Example: I know your rash itches, but don’t scratch your itch so hard—you’ll leave a scratch on your arm!Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between itch and scratch.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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itchsimple
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itchessimple
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have itchedperfect
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has itchedperfect
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am itchingprogressive
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are itchingprogressive
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is itchingprogressive
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have been itchingperfect progressive
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has been itchingperfect progressive
Past
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itchedsimple
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had itchedperfect
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was itchingprogressive
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were itchingprogressive
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had been itchingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of itch
First recorded before 900; Middle English verb (y)icchen, Old English gicc(e)an; akin to German jucken, Dutch jeuken; noun derivative of the verb
Explanation
An itch is an unpleasant tingly sensation that makes you want to scratch. If you're allergic to poison ivy and you go hiking through a field of it, you'll have a terrible itch all over your legs. Sometimes people confuse itch and scratch. An itch is the sensation that causes you to scratch, and when itch is a verb, it either means "to feel or sense an itch," or "to have a strong, restless urge," as when you itch to try out your uncle's motorcycle. Somehow, the word itch arose from its Old English root gicce, or gycce, "an itch."
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:
Ella gave herself an imaginary budget of £1,000 each day to spend on imaginary purchases, which "scratched the itch" of shopping without the cost.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Followers appreciate that their content is more educational or inspirational than an unboxing video or #sponcon post—and the way that it can sometimes scratch a voyeuristic itch.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
Though he closely follows the Grand Slams, checks weekly tournament results and runs his academy, he no longer feels the itch to compete.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
It’s that saliva that triggers an immune response in humans—and makes us itch long after the mosquito has gone.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026
How she didn’t want to kiss anyone else ever again, how the thought of kissing made her skin itch, made her bite the insides of her cheeks till they were bloody.
From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby
It’s not just the lack of discovery, though that is critical, maybe because it scratches those deep primal hunter/gatherer itches.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
ETFs scratch other itches too, including tax avoidance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
In the park, a sunburned figure itches an arm cast; another slumps on a bench, picking at his eyes.
From Slate ● May 10, 2026
He will not consider coming off it, because when he tries, his skin itches.
From Seattle Times ● May 29, 2024
My scalp itches, but I can’t get to it because of this stupid weave.
From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi
Cosmo itched so much from allergies that he constantly scratched himself raw and unleashed a howl when we were gone for too long, so loud and haunting that my neighbor thought it was a siren.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
He had 28-day-old sutures he contemplated removing himself because they itched so badly.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2025
Uncanny Keith had massive, muscular shoulders which prevented it from reaching the back of its own head, where the hair itched and chafed along its annoyingly upright spine.
From Slate ● Aug. 27, 2022
My fingers practically itched as I waved my phone around searching for a signal.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 29, 2022
She itched to draw a small, round Martian in the upper left-hand comer.
From "Goodbye Stranger" by Rebecca Stead
The uphill climb continues for the Chargers, who play at Seattle on Sunday, with the defending Super Bowl champions itching to respond to an upset loss at Washington in Week 3.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
Gap isn’t the only retailer itching to move beyond its core.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Thirteen days after Hannah Stephenson stayed a night in a Travelodge hotel, she is still itching with red lumps over her body - a nightmare she would not wish on her "worst enemy".
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
Ever since, McCreary has been itching to dive into that arena.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
I liked the idea, too, though, because it meant that some day my turn would come around again, and I was itching to have another chance.
From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan
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.
