Synonyms of touchy

touchy

adjective

ˈtə-chē 

1

as in sensitive

easily offended

watch what you say around him, as he's very touchy about every little thing

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sensitive
• tetchy
• ticklish
• irritable
• huffy
• thin-skinned
• hypersensitive
• oversensitive
• supersensitive
• testy
• peevish
• snappish
• irascible
• petulant
• grouchy
• grumpy
• waspish
• disagreeable
• crotchety
• cantankerous
• snarky
• cross
• ornery
• crabby
• tender
• pettish
• cranky
• snippy
• querulous
• choleric
• stroppy
• stuffy
• prickly
• raspy
• surly
• dyspeptic
• bilious
• curmudgeonly
• short-tempered
• perverse
• quick-tempered
• cross-grained
• snappy
• ill-tempered
• snippety
• ratty
• bearish
• ill-humored
• ill-natured

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• amiable
• agreeable
• good-natured
• thick-skinned
• easygoing
• unconcerned
• relaxed
• carefree
• well-disposed
• good-tempered
• understanding
• forbearing
• obliging
• long-suffering
• happy-go-lucky

2

as in difficult

requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling

money is a touchy subject for many people and shouldn't be discussed casually

Synonyms & Similar Words

• difficult
• sensitive
• tough
• problematic
• complicated
• sticky
• delicate
• tricky
• thorny
• ticklish
• hairy
• knotty
• problem
• serious
• nasty
• complex
• hard
• prickly
• spiny
• painful
• catchy
• dodgy
• tricksy
• troublesome
• intricate
• vexing
• stubborn
• involved
• abstruse
• recondite
• abstract
• worrisome
• vexatious
• stressful
• troublous
• inconvenient
• demanding
• scabrous
• oppressive
• burdensome
• onerous
• exhausting
• exacting
• importunate
• discommoding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• easy
• simple
• manageable
• uncomplicated
• straightforward
• painless
• effortless
• unproblematic
• undemanding

3

as in combustible

capable of catching or being set on fire

the experiment involves the use of some touchy chemicals, so caution is required

Synonyms & Similar Words

• combustible
• explosive
• flammable
• inflammable
• fiery
• combustive
• ignitable
• incendiary
• burnable

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fireproof
• nonflammable
• noninflammable
• incombustible
• noncombustible
• nonburnable
• nonexplosive
• unburnable

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of touchy

Know More The Big Ten and the Southeastern Conference moved this week to bar players who have signed pro contracts from playing college sports, a sign of how touchy the issue is as the college football season starts this weekend. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2026

Beyond the backlash, regulating the glasses is a touchy subject, Quintin told Ars. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026

The question of making a living as an end-of-life doula can be touchy. — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

Though the conflict is over four decades old, the subject is a touchy one whenever England and Argentina have taken the pitch for the last 40-plus years. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026