touchy

adjective

ˈtə-chē 

touchier; touchiest

1

: marked by readiness to take offense on slight provocation

he's a little touchy about his past

2

: calling for tact, care, or caution in treatment

a touchy subject

3

a

of a body part : acutely sensitive or irritable

b

of a chemical : highly explosive or inflammable

touchily

ˈtə-chə-lē 

adverb

touchiness

ˈtə-chē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• huffy
• tetchy
• thin-skinned
• ticklish

Examples of touchy in a Sentence

Don't be so touchy. I was just kidding.

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Performing Inflight Maneuvers Likewise, Germany's Fokker D7 was also highly touchy at the controls, particularly in prototype form; its thicker-than-usual wings resulted in some sketchy directional instability in a dive. —David Szondy, New Atlas, 1 Dec. 2024

But here’s another example of how lies beget lies, leading to some touchy situations. —Noel Murray, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024

Why do demons, ghosts and killers put me at ease but sending a touchy email or text stops me in my tracks? —Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, 30 Oct. 2024

Lear’s companies would provide advance screenings of some touchy episodes to activists, and Carter would listen to their concerns and address them with the writers. —Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1602, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing touchy

• touchy-feely

Kids Definition

touchy

adjective

ˈtəch-ē 

touchier; touchiest

1

: easily hurt or insulted

2

: calling for tact or careful handling

a touchy subject