itch
Americanverb (used without object)
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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)
noun
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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
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.
According to the study, TRPV4 does not simply create the sensation of itch.
From Science Daily • May 10, 2026
"But it actually reveals something very important about how itch is regulated."
From Science Daily • May 10, 2026
The one that clears the decks and softens that low-grade “it’s messy in here” itch, so you can get back to living.
From Salon • May 5, 2026
Universal’s “Miami Vice ’85” movie reboot won’t come out until 2028, but fans of the neon-hued South Florida crime genre looking to scratch that itch can check out “M.I.A.”
From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026
I could handle that, though it made my neck itch.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
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.
