ticklish

[ tik-lish ]

adjective

1. sensitive to tickling.
2. requiring careful or delicate handling or action; difficult or risky; dicey:

   a ticklish situation.

3. extremely sensitive; touchy:

   He is ticklish about being interrupted.

4. unstable or easily upset, as a boat; unsteady.

ticklish

/ ˈtɪklɪʃ /

adjective

1. susceptible and sensitive to being tickled
2. delicate or difficult

   a ticklish situation

3. easily upset or offended

Derived Forms

• ˈticklishness, noun
• ˈticklishly, adverb

Other Words From

• ticklish·ly adverb
• ticklish·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ticklish¹

First recorded in 1575–85; tickle + -ish ¹

Example Sentences

I ran my thumb across my sole and felt a jolting, ticklish sensation I later learned meant I had nerve damage.

From Outside Online

But as a Senate candidate, especially one looking to woo Tea Party types, her situation is somewhat more ticklish.

From The Daily Beast

Here am I, trying to get you out of a mighty ticklish situation, and you go and get funny.

From Project Gutenberg

He knows a lot of useful stuff, and these are ticklish times.'

From Project Gutenberg

He settled back on his haunches and gave a little thought to the matter, and understood that he had a ticklish job ahead of him.

From Project Gutenberg

It was a ticklish business recovering the sledge which hung suspended in the crevasse.

From Project Gutenberg

It164 would have been a ticklish business to make one's way along the deck then, he thought.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• awkward
• delicate
• precarious
• thorny
• touchy
• volatile