itching
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or characterized by an irritating sensation of the skin.
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of, relating to, or having a longing or desire to do or have something.
An itching public anxiously awaits her announcement.
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characterized by restlessness or the desire for adventure or activity.
an itching impulse to travel.
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characterized by the desire to grasp; grasping; an itching palm open for a bribe.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of itching
before 1000; Middle English ( y ) ichinge, ( y ) itchinge (noun, adj.); replacing Old English giccende (adj.). See itch, -ing 2, -ing 1
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.
France have a crew of wreckers itching to bash holes before the rebuild however.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
Bitcoin could benefit if investors are still itching to trade during the long weekend, especially since sentiment heading into Friday —and a new month—has been positive so far.
From Barron's • May 1, 2026
My body was covered in a handful of enlarged mosquito bites, many of them already open gashes from my relentless itching.
From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026
At the time she didn’t know what was causing pain in her right leg and the intense itching on her arms, legs and torso — or why her handwriting had “gone funky.”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026
“I suppose,” Raizel conceded, looking as though she was itching to say more.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
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.
