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itchy

[ ich-ee ]

/ ˈɪtʃ i /

|

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR itchy ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, itch·i·er, itch·i·est.

having or causing an itching sensation.

characterized by itching.

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pink eye Read more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.

Itch vs. Scratch: What’s The Difference?Okay, this one might make you feel a little itchy. An itch is a skin irritation that causes the desire to scratch. Scratch describes the action used to relieve an itch. The grammatically correct construction is “to scratch an itch.” People often use itch and scratch in place of each other in everyday speech. For example, you may hear people saying they need to “itch …

RELATED WORDS

tingling, crawling, crawly, prickling

Nearby words

Origin of itchy

1520–30; itch, + -y¹; compare Old English giccig (rare) purulent, putrid

Related formsitch·i·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for itchy

A good guy with a gun can turn into a bad guy due to one slip up or a simple misunderstanding and an itchy trigger finger.
A Former Navy Firearms Instructor and Proud Gun Owner On Why We Need Common Sense Gun Control|Shawn VanDiver|May 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I was itchy from the bugs, aching everywhere, blistery, and wet.
An Obsessive’s Search for a Lost Jungle City|Christopher S. Stewart|December 30, 2012|DAILY BEAST
You can be itchy in relationships, too, romantically seeking, solely for excitement sake.
Your Week: What the Stars Predict|Starsky + Cox|August 28, 2011|DAILY BEAST
He brushes the fly off, and then he scratches the itchy place with his nose.
Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue and Their Shetland Pony|Laura Lee Hope

Once he stopped to scratch; he rubbed his back against the stump, and clawed at the itchy spot with left forepaw.
Watched by Wild Animals|Enos A. Mills
Maggiluk ang kamut sa kiriwan, A kleptomaniac has itchy hands.
A Dictionary of Cebuano Visayan|John U. Wolff
The affected part is hot and itchy, but the patient does not complain of great pain.
Manual of Surgery|Alexis Thomson and Alexander Miles
Many of them became afflicted with an itchy, festering skin disease, though otherwise healthy and fat.
Stanley in Africa|James P. Boyd

Word Origin and History for itchy

itchy

adj.

Old English giccig; see itch + -y (2). Figurative itchy palm is attested by 1590s. Related: Itchiness.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine definitions for itchy

itchy

[ ĭch′ē ]

adj.

Having or causing an itching sensation.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.