touchy
Americanadjective
adjective
-
easily upset or irritated; oversensitive
-
extremely risky
-
easily ignited
Related Words
See irritable.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of touchy
First recorded in 1595–1605; variant of techy 2 (a variant of tetchy ( def. ) ), by association with touch
Explanation
Things that are touchy are hard to handle — not literally, but to talk about. Touchy subjects make people upset. There are a lot of touchy topics in life. Religion is a big one, since people have such different yet strong beliefs. Racism and sexism are touchy. Politics can be touchy. Asking someone how old they are or what they weigh are very touchy questions. Something is touchy if you need to handle it with kid gloves — or maybe avoid the topic altogether. People often use euphemisms — soft, evasive terms — for touchy subjects, to make discussing them easier.
Vocabulary lists containing touchy
The Catcher in the Rye
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Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life
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The Battle of the Labyrinth
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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.
Raman, who had endorsed Bass’ reelection before throwing her hat in at the last minute, came off as inexperienced, touchy and unprepared.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
Dealings with Saudi Arabia have been a touchy subject in Hollywood since the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 19, 2025
In most touchy situations where she’s called the play, the numbers moved because people trusted her instincts.
From Slate • Aug. 19, 2024
“With AI in videos it’s harder to know if someone’s original artwork has been stolen, it’s a really touchy subject”.
From BBC • Jul. 16, 2024
What was more, Ron seemed to have become, overnight, as touchy and ready to lash out as the average Blast-Ended Skrewt.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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.
