touchy

adjective

ˈtə-chē 

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

ˈtə-chə-lē 

adverb

touchiness

ˈtə-chē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of touchy

• sensitive
• irritable
• tetchy
• ticklish
• huffy

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

Ward expense accounts have been a touchy area for mayoral administrations to encroach on in times of austerity. —Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026

Potential increases in already-high bills that customers shoulder have become a touchy subject, to say the least. —Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026

Production assistants told Albuquerque police that Busfield was sometimes touchy or unprofessional. —Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 6 Apr. 2026

But a large part of it still existed and had never been digitized and was in fairly touchy condition. —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1602, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing touchy

• touchy-feely

Rhymes for touchy

• duchy

Kids Definition

touchy

adjective

ˈtəch-ē 

touchier; touchiest

1

: easily hurt or insulted

2

: calling for tact or careful handling

a touchy subject