touch

1 the state or fact of being able to exchange information regarding one's current situation everyone promised to keep in touch over the summer Synonyms communication, contact, hold Related Words commerce, communion, intercommunication, intercourse

2 a very small amount added just a touch of parsley to the dish Synonyms ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, hint, lick, little, mite, nip, ounce, peanuts, ray, scintilla, scruple, shade, shadow, shred, skosh, smack, smell, smidgen (also smidgeon or smidgin or smidge), snap, soupçon, spark, spatter, speck, splash, spot, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, tad, particle, traceRelated Words hoot, iota, jot, minim, minimum, modicum, semblance, syllable, tittle, vestige, whit; atom, dot, fleck, flyspeck, grain, granule, molecule, morsel, mote, nubbin, patch, scrap; dash, drop, pinch; part, portion, section; bite, nibble, taste; handful, scattering, smatter, smattering; dose, shot; chip, flake, fragment, shard, shiver, sliver, smithereens, splinter; shred, tatter; clipping, paring, shavingNear Antonyms abundance, barrel, boatload, bucket, bundle, bushel, deal, fistful, gobs, heaps, lashings (also lashins) [chiefly British], loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, oodles, passel, peck, pile, plenty, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads, stack, wad, wealth; volume; bonanza, embarrassment, excess, overabundance, overage, overflow, overkill, overmuch, oversupply, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus; chunk, hunk, lump, slab

3 something that sets apart an individual from others of the same kind each designer has his or her own personal touches Synonyms affection, attribute, attribution, character, criterion, diagnostic, differentia, feature, fingerprint, hallmark, mark, marker, note, particularity, peculiarity, point, property, quality, specific, stamp, characteristic, traitRelated Words badge, indication, sign; emblem, symbol, token; charm, grace; excellence, merit, virtue; eccentricity, idiosyncrasy, oddity, quirk; individuality, singularity, uniqueness

4 an almost imperceptible sign of something a touch of irritation tinged his voice as the candidate fielded yet another question about his personal finances Synonyms breath, flicker, glimmer, suggestion, tang, hint, trace, whiffRelated Words inkling, intimation, scent, wind; evidence, indication, mark, signNear Antonyms permeation, pervasion, saturation

1 to come into bodily contact with (something) so as to perceive a slight pressure on the skin be careful not to touch this pan—it's still hot Synonyms feel Related Words caress, embrace, finger, fondle, hug, kiss, lip, nose, nudge, nuzzle, paw, rub, stroke; palp, palpate; brush, graze, shave, skim; clasp, clench, cling (to), clutch, grasp, grip, handle, hold, palm; chuck, clap, dab, flick, pat, tag, tap, tip; hit, knock, pound, rap, whack

2 to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response your speech on the true meaning of patriotism touched me deeply Synonyms impact, impress, influence, move, reach, strike, sway, tell (on), affectRelated Words carry away, dazzle, enrapture, entrance, enthrall (or enthral), ravish, transport; bias, color; inspire, stir; engage, interest, involve, penetrate, pierce; afflict, agitate, bother, concern, discomfort, discompose, disquiet, distress, disturb, fluster, harass, harry, perturb, pester, plague, smite, strain, stress, trouble, try, upset, worry, wring; allure, attract, bewitch, captivate, charm, enchant, fascinateNear Antonyms bore, jade, pall, tire, weary; underwhelm

3 to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable unfortunately, his insufferable arrogance tends to touch even the good deeds that he does Synonyms blemish, darken, mar, poison, spoil, stain, tarnish, taint, vitiateRelated Words begrime, besmear, besmirch, blacken, blur, cloud, dirty, discolor, pollute, smear, smirch, smudge, smut, soil, sully, tar; abase, cheapen, debase, degrade, demean, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, foul, lower, shame, sink; bastardize, corrupt, debauch, demoralize, deprave, pervert, subvert; color, distort, twistNear Antonyms cleanse, purify; dignify, elevate, ennoble, enshrine, glorify, hallow, magnify, uplift

4 to be adjacent to our property touches theirs right where that big elm tree is Synonyms abut, border (on), butt (on or against), flank, fringe, join, march (with), neighbor, skirt, adjoin, verge (on)Related Words attach (to), communicate (with), connect (with), link (with); bound, embrace, encircle, enclose (also inclose), fence, line, margin, rim, surround; contact, converge, meet

5 to be the business or affair of I don't think this decision touches you, so butt out Synonyms affect, involve, concernRelated Words appertain (to), apply (to), bear (on), pertain (to), refer (to), relate (to); embroil, ensnare, entangle, implicate