TOUCHY Synonyms: 134 Similar and Opposite Words

touchy

adjective

ˈtə-chē

Definition of touchy

as in sensitive

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in combustible

capable of catching or being set on fire the experiment involves the use of some touchy chemicals, so caution is required

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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 touchy Also, steer clear of controversial issues, because this is a touchy day for everyone. — Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 1 Sep. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for touchy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for touchy

Adjective

State officials had provided a version of the rolls that withheld such sensitive personal information, citing privacy concerns.

— Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 2 Nov. 2026
An Israeli military official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media or to discuss sensitive operational matters, also confirmed the withdrawal.

— Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of sensitive

Adjective

The pilot must compensate manually using the controller, which can be difficult if the aircraft is far away or difficult to see.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026
The chocolatey all-suede style was first released in October 2023 and has become increasingly difficult to track down over the years, with certain sizes commanding premium prices on the secondary market.

— Riley Jones, Footwear News, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of difficult

Adjective

Set against the glamour and mayhem of Miami Swim Week, Miami PI follows a wayward private investigator whose life has gone off course and a combustible former model caught up in a murder case.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 9 Nov. 2026
The technology relies on a combustible mix of oil and gas, explains Mark Nevitt, associate professor of law at Emory University School of Law, in The Regulatory Review.

— Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of combustible

Adjective

During the first of four shows later that week at Nightclub 101, Hall seemed tetchy and frustrated.

— Jack Denton, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
Schrader approaches some pretty tetchy, third-rail territory, doing some debating about whether one act of child abuse means that John is, inherently, a child abuser by nature.

— Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of tetchy

Adjective

The Heat now returns home, but the competition is about to get tougher.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2026
Councilwoman Willis has been a tough negotiator, challenging us to work with the City of Dallas transportation department to identify and fund meaningful traffic enhancements.

— CBS News, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of tough

Adjective

The Giants’ defense allowed six explosive pass plays of 20 yards or more and managed only one sack and two QB hits on Daniels the entire game.

— Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 13 Nov. 2026
The Tigers’ explosive start, combined with timely defensive takeaways, proved too much for the Raiders to overcome.

— Shiloh Robinson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Nov. 2026

Definition of explosive

Adjective

These songs are very evidently arranged, with ticklish, left-field grooves and tight pockets—never too tight for the persistent, puckish charm, the elbow-nudging glee.

— Samuel Hyland, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026
By combining literacy with something welcoming and familiar like food, Cruz hopes to make the ticklish topic more approachable.

— Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026

Definition of ticklish

Adjective

Winter Comes to East Orange A half dozen oncologists and surgeons told me that delaying treatment by more than a month and a half was problematic.

— Eric Umansky, ProPublica, 11 Nov. 2026
If so, the arrangement would have effectively moved the problematic loans off the bank’s books without eliminating the underlying financial exposure.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2026