itched; itching; itches
1
a
: to have an itch
her arm itched
b
: to produce an itchy sensation
long underwear that itches
2
: to have a restless desire or hankering for something
were itching to go outside
1
a
: an uneasy irritating sensation in the upper surface of the skin usually held to result from mild stimulation of pain receptors
b
: a skin disorder accompanied by such a sensation
especially
: a contagious eruption caused by a mite (Sarcoptes scabiei) that burrows in the skin and causes intense itching
usually -er/-est
1
: itching: such as
a
: having, affected by, or resembling an itch or the itch
dirty itchy vagabonds
an itchy disease
b
: that causes or tends to cause itching
an itchy sweater
the thermometer leaped in a day from wind-bitten chill to itchy warmth—
Sinclair Lewis
Sinclair Lewis
d
: restlessly or compulsively driven toward action : impatiently eager
an itchy reformer—W. L. Sullivan
W. L. Sullivanwhen some local rifleman shows evidence of an itchy trigger finger—Horace Sutton
Horace SuttonExamples of itch in a Sentence
Verb
His eyes began to burn and itch because of his allergies.
This sweater makes me itch.
Noun
I had a slight itch on my back.
Scratching only makes the itch worse.
She's always had an itch for adventure.
He has an itch to travel.
Recent Examples on the Web
Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 17 June 2026
In some ways, DOGE acted as an expedited revolving door, giving the young engineers brief, chaotic experience across multiple government agencies, before spitting them back into the Valley, which is chock-full of investors itching to get in on government-adjacent technology.
—Margaux MacColl, Vanity Fair, 12 June 2026
John Mihaly, PC Magazine, 18 June 2026
Widow’s Bay manages to scratch the same itch as recent idiosyncratic horror offerings like Evil and Castle Rock, municipal comedies like Parks and Recreation, and quaint small-town BritBox mysteries.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for itch
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Your stock portfolio is booming and there’s a sports car–sized hole in your garage itching to get filled.
—Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 17 June 2026
In some ways, DOGE acted as an expedited revolving door, giving the young engineers brief, chaotic experience across multiple government agencies, before spitting them back into the Valley, which is chock-full of investors itching to get in on government-adjacent technology.
—Margaux MacColl, Vanity Fair, 12 June 2026
Noun
Then the Microsoft Surface Pro 2-in-1 Laptop/Tablet might be the thing to scratch all of those itches.
—John Mihaly, PC Magazine, 18 June 2026
Widow’s Bay manages to scratch the same itch as recent idiosyncratic horror offerings like Evil and Castle Rock, municipal comedies like Parks and Recreation, and quaint small-town BritBox mysteries.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for itch
Cite this Entry
“Itch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/itch. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
itch
1 of 2 verb1
: to have or produce an itch
2
: to cause to itch
3
: to have a strong desire
itching to get going
itch
2 of 2 noun1
a
: an uneasy irritating feeling in the skin usually held to result from exciting cells or groups of cells which sense pain
b
: a skin disorder accompanied by an itch
especially
: scabies
2
: a restless usually constant desire
Medical Definition
itch
noun1
: an uneasy irritating sensation in the upper surface of the skin usually held to result from mild stimulation of pain receptors
2
: a skin disorder accompanied by an itch
especially
: a contagious eruption caused by an itch mite of the genus Sarcoptes (S. scabiei) that burrows in the skin and causes intense itching
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