as in emotional
showing feeling freely
she is too touchy-feely and he is too stiff-upper-lip for their relationship to ever work out
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Recent Examples of touchy-feely
Alonso wasn’t a touchy-feely boss.
—
Phil Hay, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Nearly a year after the duo went viral for their hilariously meme-able finger-holding moment, the Eternal Sunshine artist is addressing the fact that the costars have a very touchy-feely friendship.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Nov. 2025
In the clip, the pair appear very touchy-feely, with Nader touching Mortensen's chest multiple times throughout the video, and Mortensen playfully touching her hand and arm.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 2025
Excuse the cynicism, but this is the sort of combination of touchy-feely button-pushing and self-conscious peculiarity that’s meant to seem significant and profound that will bring out your inner rom-com Grinch.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2025
Looser, more touchy-feely styles include gentle parenting and freestyle parenting.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 19 Aug. 2025
The image of her cutting a snake in half with her shovel doesn’t conjure up a touchy-feely woman.
—Marc Berman
august 15, Literary Hub, 15 Aug. 2025
By contrast, Drebin Jr. is more like a clumsy, aging Saint Bernard: a big, shambling man who wears a dour frown but can turn touchy-feely when the talk turns to romance, owls, or turkey dinners.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 8 Aug. 2025
Despite that seemingly blasé way the pair first met, the documentary is willing to get a bit more touchy-feely than Lewis herself, making a sterling argument that the duo were really just two pieces of one entity.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 17 July 2025
Phil Hay, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Nearly a year after the duo went viral for their hilariously meme-able finger-holding moment, the Eternal Sunshine artist is addressing the fact that the costars have a very touchy-feely friendship.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Nov. 2025
In the clip, the pair appear very touchy-feely, with Nader touching Mortensen's chest multiple times throughout the video, and Mortensen playfully touching her hand and arm.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 2025
Excuse the cynicism, but this is the sort of combination of touchy-feely button-pushing and self-conscious peculiarity that’s meant to seem significant and profound that will bring out your inner rom-com Grinch.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2025
Looser, more touchy-feely styles include gentle parenting and freestyle parenting.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 19 Aug. 2025
The image of her cutting a snake in half with her shovel doesn’t conjure up a touchy-feely woman.
—Marc Berman
august 15, Literary Hub, 15 Aug. 2025
By contrast, Drebin Jr. is more like a clumsy, aging Saint Bernard: a big, shambling man who wears a dour frown but can turn touchy-feely when the talk turns to romance, owls, or turkey dinners.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 8 Aug. 2025
Despite that seemingly blasé way the pair first met, the documentary is willing to get a bit more touchy-feely than Lewis herself, making a sterling argument that the duo were really just two pieces of one entity.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 17 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touchy-feely
Adjective
-
Seitz said the men had assaulted him, and that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and deputies had violated his civil rights, inflicted emotional stress, defamed him and conspired to keep the matter quiet.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2026
-
With Spoelstra appreciative of the emotional drain of the experience, as well as the eventual exhilaration.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Aside from the 43rd president’s penchant for surfacing mostly for official events — joking in an affectionate and hilarious manner with Michelle Obama — Bush’s taciturn post-presidency cuts a striking contrast with the two men who bracketed his tenure.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
22 Feb. 2026
-
But after a perfunctory squeeze, her father lays his head on her shoulder in a gesture of affectionate, put-on penitence.—
Gail Sheehy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Touchy-feely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touchy-feely. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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