1
as in sensitive
easily offended
watch what you say around him, as he's very touchy about every little thing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
money is a touchy subject for many people and shouldn't be discussed casually
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in combustible
capable of catching or being set on fire
the experiment involves the use of some touchy chemicals, so caution is required
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of touchy
So start scrolling to discover the products our touchiest of testers trust with their prickly complexions.
—
Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
It’s also oddly bifurcated into two noticeably chunks, with the first half focusing on Hank and Yvonne’s tender but touchy, highly tectchy relationship and the second half leaning into the gonzo forward momentum of a get-the-dough crime flick.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2025
After Caroline's statement, a Kennedy family insider told PEOPLE that there's always been a touchy dynamic between JFK's daughter and the many children of RFK, noting that Caroline's attack merely brought the tension to the surface.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Diane Gottsman, national etiquette expert and founder of The Protocol School of Texas, has thoughts—and even a personal take—on this touchy subject.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for touchy
Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
It’s also oddly bifurcated into two noticeably chunks, with the first half focusing on Hank and Yvonne’s tender but touchy, highly tectchy relationship and the second half leaning into the gonzo forward momentum of a get-the-dough crime flick.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2025
After Caroline's statement, a Kennedy family insider told PEOPLE that there's always been a touchy dynamic between JFK's daughter and the many children of RFK, noting that Caroline's attack merely brought the tension to the surface.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Diane Gottsman, national etiquette expert and founder of The Protocol School of Texas, has thoughts—and even a personal take—on this touchy subject.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for touchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touchy
Adjective
-
Some people experience tactile allodynia, which happens when the central nervous system becomes extra sensitive to things that touch your skin.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Still, employees have also been left wondering why the moves needed to take place when so many employees remained furloughed and unaware of how sensitive hardware was being handled.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Cue, Helm’s first rejection, abandonment, difficult emotions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
This character was actually quite difficult for me.—
Gavin J Blair,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
In the late twentieth century, fire agencies urged homeowners to replace flammable wooden shingles with alternatives such as Spanish tiles, which are made from non-combustible terra-cotta.—
Ingfei Chen,
New Yorker,
22 Oct. 2025
-
That could mean making the blood inside their head combustible.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Most cases clear up on their own without complications, but parents should contact a doctor if a child cannot keep fluids down, has a high fever lasting more than a few days or seems unusually drowsy or irritable.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Also known as irritable hip, the condition is due to inflammation of the hip joint lining.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Whether or not Takaichi's administration is as tough on immigration issues as her campaign rhetoric suggests, some observers warn that failing to actively invest in and integrate foreign nationals into society will have lasting harm on Asia’s second-largest economy.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Without a consolidation of that vote in the final stretch, Mamdani appears tough to beat.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Those detonations had the explosive equivalent of one Hiroshima-sized atomic bomb every day for 20 years, according to a 2025 report from the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER).—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Anthropic, maker of the Claude chatbot, is projecting explosive growth—forecasting as much as $70 billion in revenue by 2028, up from about $5 billion this year, according to The Information.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Hallmarks of the best Halloween travel destinations usually entail a moody fall landscape, local legends that involve a tetchy ghost, vampire, or other variety of ominous being, and themed activities like pumpkin patches and cemetery tours.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Reynolds is a tetchy tyrant, who, enabled by his sister, Cyril (Lesley Manville), has embraced a need to have things just so as a means of warding off vulnerability.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The show leans into this offensive, problematic plot device without any self-awareness.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
-
However, others didn't find the ad too problematic.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Touchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touchy. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share