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 adverb
touchiness noun

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
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.
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 Rumors at Disney have swirled around photos supposedly sent to X-Men ’97 colleagues and accusations of getting too touchy with people on X-Men ’97. Dominic Patten, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for touchy 

Word History

First Known Use

1602, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of touchy was in 1602

Dictionary Entries Near touchy

Cite this Entry

“Touchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/touchy. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

touchy

adjective
touchier; touchiest
1
: easily hurt or insulted
2
: calling for tact or careful handling
a touchy subject

More from Merriam-Webster on touchy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!