touchy
Americanadjective
-
touchier,
comparative
-
touchiest
superlative
adjective
-
easily upset or irritated; oversensitive
-
extremely risky
-
easily ignited
Synonym Usage
See irritable.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
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.
See Examples For:
More than 70,000 migrants entered Ceuta from Morocco on July 30 and 31 in an unprecedented, chaotic surge that left scores dead and sparked European Union infighting over the touchy issue of migration.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
Some dating advice for the modern era: Money is often a touchy subject in relationships, but especially when one person earns more than their partner.
From Slate ● Sep. 3, 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
The creation — and Carter’s expansion — of Redwood National Park has long been a touchy subject along California’s rural, economically depressed North Coast, where the once-thriving logging industry cratered over the last half-century.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2025
He was always touchy about the fact that Harry, who had inherited a small fortune from his parents, had much more money than he did.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
After all, this conversation isn’t totally unlike one you might have with a potential roommate, even if familial obligations make it a bit touchier.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2025
“The only thing people are touchier about than parenting style is dog ownership,” Roderick wrote Sunday in a typically sarcastic tweet.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 5, 2021
Mussolini eventually bowed out after saying that, although she wasn’t sure if American anti-fascists were more annoying than Italian ones, they were definitely touchier:
From Slate ● Mar. 31, 2019
The new comedy series "Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas" has the former "Daily Show" correspondent traveling far and wide to tackle some of today's touchier topics.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2018
Of course, no one said anything, their boss being touchier than a septic boil.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
And food is one of the touchiest characteristics for sure.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 21, 2023
Beyond sibling dynamics, let’s talk about the touchiest part of this.
From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2021
“But it’s also a more vulnerable performance, less tightly woven and deliberately plotted, even turning uncharacteristically jagged at points as it explores some of the writer’s touchiest preoccupations.”
From New York Times ● Sep. 3, 2020
He willingly wades into the NBA MVP debate, the touchiest of all NBA topics.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 23, 2017
He was about the touchiest guy I ever met.
From "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
