1
as in sensitive
easily offended
he's ticklish about his looks, so it's wisest to avoid the subject altogether
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
From celebrities to brands and many other users across the platform, folks chimed in to share their despair with Hollywood’s most ticklish friend.
—
Ryan Fish, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
In practice, the last of these—which sounds tame, and which refers to the number of people who will be affected by the act—is probably the most morally ticklish, as any secondhand smoker can confirm.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
This is a ticklish subject, to be sure.
—Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2022
What keeps Sandy from jumping turns out to be one of Row’s cleverest, most ticklish plot devices.
—John Domini, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for ticklish
Ryan Fish, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
In practice, the last of these—which sounds tame, and which refers to the number of people who will be affected by the act—is probably the most morally ticklish, as any secondhand smoker can confirm.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
This is a ticklish subject, to be sure.
—Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2022
What keeps Sandy from jumping turns out to be one of Row’s cleverest, most ticklish plot devices.
—John Domini, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for ticklish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ticklish
Adjective
-
And new privacy legislation in Senate Bill 1295 requires collectors of sensitive data to notify consumers if their personal data is being used to train large language models.—
Angela Eichhorst,
Hartford Courant,
15 July 2025
-
In Cisco’s 2025 Data Privacy Benchmark, 64% of global respondents worry about inadvertently exposing sensitive information through AI tools, even as nearly half admit to feeding personal data into them.—
Boris Dzhingarov,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
Adjective
-
Speaking with director Joe Johnston, Oka explained the two most difficult things to simulate digitally at the time were human skin and water.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
15 July 2025
-
They are often considered the most beautiful irises but can be difficult to grow.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 July 2025
Adjective
-
The sound is good enough to get your groove on, while battery life of up to 10 hours per charge makes up for their touchy controls and relative lack of fancy extras.—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
12 July 2025
-
As the moon and Chiron clash, addressing a touchy relationship issue provides healing.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
3 July 2025
Adjective
-
Morton, 43, may take that advice under serious consideration, mentioning how tough the fans – and even fellow cast members – have been on her following this past season’s cast trip to Grenada.—
John Lawson,
Essence,
9 July 2025
-
But after rookie third baseman Ronny Mauricio made an exceptionally tough double play to end a two-on, one-out threat in the bottom of the eighth, there was no way the Mets were losing.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
Determined to make a clean SPF, Brown says a chemical formula was out of the question (chemical sunscreens are often thought to be unsafe for the coral reef and irritable to sensitive skin types).—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
9 July 2025
-
In my own experience, poor sleep has frequently been the reason behind feeling tired and irritable.—
Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt,
CNN Money,
8 July 2025
Adjective
-
Her new novel, Spent, tells the story of one Alison Bechdel, a tetchy lesbian cartoonist running a pygmy-goat sanctuary in Vermont who is trying to write a memoir about the corrupting influence of money.—
Andrea Long Chu,
Vulture,
16 June 2025
-
One is her ex, the struggling, somewhat tetchy actor/caterer John, played by Chris Evans.—
Michael Phillips,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2025
Adjective
-
That stark reality, Wood said, was part of what compelled him to write the book Among the lessons Wood discusses are the importance of healthy communication, the role of community support and the insights drawn from his own complicated relationship with his father.—
Essence,
Essence,
9 July 2025
-
While these may seem a bit too complicated for children, the kit is specifically designed for budding engineers aged 8 to 14 and includes easy-to-understand, age-appropriate instructions.—
Anja Webb,
Parents,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
This is especially problematic because compensation in financial services is reliant on bonuses, commissions and decision-making power and these rewards don’t often trickle down.—
Sughnen Yongo,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
-
For Gathegi, the shocking moment underscored age-old problematic tropes.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ticklish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ticklish. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share