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Synonyms

touched

American  
[tuhcht] / tʌtʃt /

adjective

  1. (of the mind or feelings) affected with emotion; moved, especially with sympathy or gratitude.

    They were very touched by your generosity.

  2. slightly crazy; unbalanced.

    touched in the head.
touched British  
/ tʌtʃt /

adjective

  1. moved to sympathy or emotion; affected

  2. showing slight insanity

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of touched

First recorded in 1450–1500; late Middle English; touch, -ed 2

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.

Though touched on throughout “The Handmaid’s Tale,” the horrifying connection between status and the systematic procurement of women is the sinister force that drives “The Testaments.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

And apart from Chen Zhi, none of the tycoons accused of hosting the compounds behind their casinos has yet been touched.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

A few years back, in remarks that touched on the war in Ukraine, Pope Francis declared, “There is no such thing as a just war.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

“It obviously touched a nerve,” he told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

Then, with one yellow, claw-like finger, she touched the amulet at her breast, and began tracing the spiral.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

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.