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
Synonyms
Examples 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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Nov. 2023
Sometimes these plaques will itch or crack and possibly even bleed.
—Kelly Dougher, Allure, 21 Nov. 2023
Right-wing lawmakers have long complained that Republican leadership often works with Democrats to jam through huge spending bills right before the Christmas recess, when lawmakers are itching to go home, instead of voting on each part of the government separately.
—Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2023
The former host may be downsizing in her golden years, or perhaps just itching to travel.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 8 Nov. 2023
Just like their allergy medicine, their topical antihistamine works quickly and effectively to stop itching.
—Danielle Zoellner, Verywell Health, 5 Oct. 2023
The ancillary businesses that support production in Los Angeles, New York and elsewhere are also itching to get back to work.
—Nicole Sperling, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023
The infection usually begins with a painless sore in the mouth, rectum or genitals, then can progress to more sores or a rash that typically doesn't itch.
—Aria Bendix, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2023
These allergy relief drops treat sensitive eye symptoms such as redness, itching, and stinging.
—Sarah Bradley, Verywell Health, 30 Oct. 2023
Aria Bendix, NBC News, 23 Nov. 2023
This means that inflammation is not required for itch to occur, Chiu told STAT.
—Deborah Balthazar, STAT, 22 Nov. 2023
Collective exhaustion and an itch to be done with a record deal inspired the feint last year, the 27-year-old rapper, singer-songwriter, producer, and director explained during a call last week.
—Vulture, 3 Nov. 2023
The eight-year itch (George Frey / Getty Images) UCLA has not won at Rice-Eccles Stadium since 2015, though there’s little shame in that.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2023
Trending That’s also a Hunger Games staple, of course, and this imperfect yet surprising prequel knows that even those who haven’t read the book(s) will want that itch scratched.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 Nov. 2023
The Fitch scratches that itch with deals on its long-sleeve knitted and sheer turtlenecks and blouses, as well as its soft, essential T-shirts, and easy-to-layer bodysuits.
—Malia Griggs, Glamour, 31 Oct. 2023
Lifestyle The late-summer itch: Ankle-biting mosquitoes are in extra full force in L.A.
—Jeremy Childs, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2023
This luminary will set us up for a serious time of reflection and an itch for harmony.
—Elizabeth Gulino, refinery29.com, 16 Oct. 2023
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Verb
That explanation might seem counter-intuitive, especially in San Diego where the winter brings rain and, generally, higher humidity than has recently been experienced, especially when Santa Anna winds dried the air to levels that left everyone itching.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Nov. 2023
Sometimes these plaques will itch or crack and possibly even bleed.
—Kelly Dougher, Allure, 21 Nov. 2023
Right-wing lawmakers have long complained that Republican leadership often works with Democrats to jam through huge spending bills right before the Christmas recess, when lawmakers are itching to go home, instead of voting on each part of the government separately.
—Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2023
The former host may be downsizing in her golden years, or perhaps just itching to travel.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 8 Nov. 2023
Just like their allergy medicine, their topical antihistamine works quickly and effectively to stop itching.
—Danielle Zoellner, Verywell Health, 5 Oct. 2023
The ancillary businesses that support production in Los Angeles, New York and elsewhere are also itching to get back to work.
—Nicole Sperling, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023
The infection usually begins with a painless sore in the mouth, rectum or genitals, then can progress to more sores or a rash that typically doesn't itch.
—Aria Bendix, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2023
These allergy relief drops treat sensitive eye symptoms such as redness, itching, and stinging.
—Sarah Bradley, Verywell Health, 30 Oct. 2023
Noun
To rule out the possibility that inflammation might still be driving the itch response, the research also involved mice that had lower levels of immune cells or inflammatory chemicals associated with skin allergies.
—Aria Bendix, NBC News, 23 Nov. 2023
This means that inflammation is not required for itch to occur, Chiu told STAT.
—Deborah Balthazar, STAT, 22 Nov. 2023
Collective exhaustion and an itch to be done with a record deal inspired the feint last year, the 27-year-old rapper, singer-songwriter, producer, and director explained during a call last week.
—Vulture, 3 Nov. 2023
The eight-year itch (George Frey / Getty Images) UCLA has not won at Rice-Eccles Stadium since 2015, though there’s little shame in that.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2023
Trending That’s also a Hunger Games staple, of course, and this imperfect yet surprising prequel knows that even those who haven’t read the book(s) will want that itch scratched.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 Nov. 2023
The Fitch scratches that itch with deals on its long-sleeve knitted and sheer turtlenecks and blouses, as well as its soft, essential T-shirts, and easy-to-layer bodysuits.
—Malia Griggs, Glamour, 31 Oct. 2023
Lifestyle The late-summer itch: Ankle-biting mosquitoes are in extra full force in L.A.
—Jeremy Childs, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2023
This luminary will set us up for a serious time of reflection and an itch for harmony.
—Elizabeth Gulino, refinery29.com, 16 Oct. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'itch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English icchen, from Old English giccan; akin to Old High German jucchen to itch
First Known Use
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of itch was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing itch
Articles Related to itch
Dictionary Entries Near itch
Cite this Entry
“Itch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/itch. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids 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
More from Merriam-Webster on itch
Nglish: Translation of itch for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of itch for Arabic Speakers
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