ticklish

adjective

ˈti-k(ə-)lish How to pronounce ticklish (audio)
Definition of ticklishnext
1
as in sensitive
easily offended he's ticklish about his looks, so it's wisest to avoid the subject altogether

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling trying to tell him that his zipper is down without embarrassing him will be a ticklish task

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 ticklish There’s a ticklish elusiveness to the portraits of Blume’s husbands in the book, and to those of her kids, Randy and Larry, as well. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2026 Transporting the patient 12 miles to Hartford Hospital would be ticklish. — Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 1 Mar. 2026 However, Apollo economist Torsten Slok said policymakers are in a ticklish spot now with inflation still above target and the soft jobs picture, putting the central bank’s dual goals of stable prices and full employment in conflict. — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025 Rubbing underarm is selected as a target motion of robot because previous research suggests that this is the best way for making humans feel ticklish. — Erico Guizzo, IEEE Spectrum, 14 Oct. 2016 See All Example Sentences for ticklish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ticklish
  1. sensitive
  2. difficult
  3. touchy
  4. tough
  5. irritable
  6. complicated
  7. tetchy
  8. problematic
Adjective
  • The autonomous coding tool can send sensitive information to a remote server without a user’s consent, the statement said in Chinese, according to a CNBC translation.
    — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 8 July 2026
  • The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the possible crash.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
Definition of sensitive
Adjective
  • Sarah Buck, Chicago Driving has become harder The rapid increase in bike lanes has made driving much more difficult and tedious, with numerous delays due to many streets being reduced to one lane in busy areas.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • Republican strategists have welcomed those nominations as an opening for attack in a difficult election year.
    — Susan Page, USA Today, 5 July 2026
Definition of difficult
Adjective
  • Manliness is a touchy subject these days, but there was a time when honorable combat was respected above the mere running of one’s mouth.
    — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2026
  • Money is still somewhat of a touchy subject for Jason Bateman.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 21 June 2026
Definition of touchy
Adjective
  • The talks are meant to focus on the toughest matters, including fully reopening the strait and rolling back Tehran’s disputed nuclear program.
    — Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • Patrick Cantlay made a little noise in an otherwise quiet year for the American with five birdies in 10 holes and then a collection of tough par saves at the end that felt just as valuable.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
Definition of tough
Adjective
  • The symptoms are so delayed that people often blame them on food poisoning, irritable-bowel syndrome, gluten intolerance.
    — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
  • Cancer could be affectionate and chatty one moment, and withdrawn and irritable the next, with little to no explanation.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026
Definition of irritable
Adjective
  • Anticipation for the milestone holiday has been building for much of the year, serving as an opportunity for Americans to reflect on their complicated history as onetime colonists of an empire who became a superpower of their own.
    — Steven Sloan, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • The study authors caution that the model should be applied carefully to more complicated perovskites in which structural changes and dielectric effects occur simultaneously.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 5 July 2026
Definition of complicated
Adjective
  • And then an ignominious end to her Indian Wells title defense, which saw her cursing at the crowd after a tense, tetchy loss to Kateřina Siniaková in her second match.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 2 June 2026
  • In the first week of testimony, Musk took the stand and couldn’t help but get tetchy.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
Definition of tetchy
Adjective
  • In a 2025 report issued on Tuesday, the intelligence agency said there were no indications that the party had backed off its problematic views.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
  • This is where overly conservative portfolios can become problematic.
    — Andrew Rosen, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of problematic

Browse Nearby Words

tickling
ticklish
tick (off)
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Cite this Entry

“Ticklish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ticklish. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of ticklish for Spanish Speakers

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