untouched
Americanadjective
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not explored or visited.
untouched lands.
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not eaten or drunk.
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remaining in a pristine state; unchanged.
an untouched innocent; an untouched world.
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not injured or hurt; undamaged.
untouched by the exploding bombs.
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not affected or altered.
She was untouched by the life around her.
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emotionally unmoved; indifferent.
She was left untouched by the music.
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not mentioned or described, as in conversation or a book.
an untouched subject.
adjective
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not used, handled, touched, etc
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not injured or harmed
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(postpositive) emotionally unmoved
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not changed, modified, or affected
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(of food or drink) left without being consumed
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not mentioned or referred to
he left the subject untouched
Other Word Forms
- untouchedness noun
Etymology
Origin of untouched
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; un- 1, touch, -ed 2
Explanation
Something untouched has literally not been touched (like the untouched spinach on your plate), or has not been emotionally moved (like the hardened criminal who remains untouched throughout his victim's testimony). If you're not moved to some emotion, you're untouched, and if your dog doesn't eat his dinner, you'll see an untouched bowl of kibble still sitting there in the morning. You might find it hard to remain untouched by the fresh, white, untouched snow. This adjective comes from touched, which can mean "emotionally moved" or "physically affected." Add the "not" prefix un-, and you get untouched.
Vocabulary lists containing untouched
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.
Inside the 75-year-old home, Farr initially left several of the previous owner’s design details untouched.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026
He noticed a large stack that sat untouched each day in the newsroom; most of his colleagues, he said, were simply too busy to dive in.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026
On arrival, they search meticulously for signs of construction, breathing a sigh of relief each time the massive property appears untouched.
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
In between, a pivotal Supreme Court ruling against President Trump’s tariffs, and a broadening fear over AI’s disruption to key sectors, left few corners of the market untouched.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
Lt looked as if it had stood untouched for thousands of winters.
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.
