touchier; touchiest
1
: marked by readiness to take offense on slight provocation
he's a little touchy about his past
2
: calling for tact, care, or caution in treatment
a touchy subject
3
a
of a body part : acutely sensitive or irritable
b
of a chemical : highly explosive or inflammable
touchily adverb
touchiness noun

Examples of touchy in a Sentence

Don't be so touchy. I was just kidding. watch what you say around him, as he's very touchy about every little thing
Recent Examples on the Web Credit cards in particular can be a touchy subject in families where older generations avoid them out of the fear of costly debt, while younger generations embrace them for their rewards and convenience. Sara Rathner Of Nerdwallet, Quartz, 26 Feb. 2024 The hugely controversial and potentially backfiring trailer came out for the satirical comedy, and the heat was from both touchy, defensive white folks and from potential Black audiences. Michael Phillips, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2024 Environmental advocates say that the spate of proposals is a significant development for Indonesia, where authorities have long been touchy about acknowledging the air pollution problem and resistant to calls for action. Time, 17 Aug. 2023 Here are some healthy ways to navigate through touchy subjects. Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2023 Advertisement Here are some healthy ways to navigate through some touchy subjects. Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2023 Celebrities have a unique power to amplify an issue to a wide and diverse audience, and make a touchy subject less forbidding. Fiorella Valdesolo, Vogue, 11 Dec. 2023 Napoleonic scholars, of whom there are touchy battalions, will be up in arms from the outset, noting that Marie Antoinette’s hair was shorn before her decapitation, and that Napoleon, rather than witnessing her death, was in the South of France. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2023 The Orca’s steering can be touchy, though, and one wrong overcorrection of the handle can send your flailing body skipping across the waves. WIRED, 18 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'touchy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1602, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of touchy was in 1602

Dictionary Entries Near touchy

Cite this Entry

“Touchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/touchy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

touchy

adjective
touchier; touchiest
1
: easily hurt or insulted
2
: calling for tact or careful handling
a touchy subject

More from Merriam-Webster on touchy

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