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

• huffy
• tetchy
• thin-skinned
• ticklish

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

Given the touchy subject, the study authors are of course all Italians, by design. —Francesca Giuliani Hoffman, CNN Money, 9 May 2025

Starlink is a touchy subject for the FCC to promote because of theconflicts of interest posed by Musk’s role in slashing the federal government’s budget through the Department of Government Efficiency. —Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 5 May 2025

Black audiences have so few representative characters on screen, and Black womanhood alone is so touchy. —Shania Russell, EW.com, 9 Apr. 2025

Manual focus is responsive, too, if a little bit touchy. —PCMAG, 12 Mar. 2025

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