1
as in sensitive
easily offended
he's ticklish about his looks, so it's wisest to avoid the subject altogether
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
trying to tell him that his zipper is down without embarrassing him will be a ticklish task
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ticklish
From celebrities to brands and many other users across the platform, folks chimed in to share their despair with Hollywood’s most ticklish friend.
—
Ryan Fish, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
In practice, the last of these—which sounds tame, and which refers to the number of people who will be affected by the act—is probably the most morally ticklish, as any secondhand smoker can confirm.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
This is a ticklish subject, to be sure.
—Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2022
What keeps Sandy from jumping turns out to be one of Row’s cleverest, most ticklish plot devices.
—John Domini, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for ticklish
Ryan Fish, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
In practice, the last of these—which sounds tame, and which refers to the number of people who will be affected by the act—is probably the most morally ticklish, as any secondhand smoker can confirm.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
This is a ticklish subject, to be sure.
—Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2022
What keeps Sandy from jumping turns out to be one of Row’s cleverest, most ticklish plot devices.
—John Domini, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for ticklish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ticklish
Adjective
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The economically sensitive Dow Jones Industrial Average is outperforming the S & P 500 and touching fresh all-time highs following Powell's speech.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
22 Aug. 2025
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Short-term health risks, especially for sensitive populations, can include eyes, throat and nose irritation, asthma attacks, coughing and shortness of breath.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The Chamber said the cancellation was a difficult decision but ultimately the best course of action.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Aug. 2025
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And as more time passed, reaching out felt more and more difficult.—
Kevin Kruse,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The sound is good enough to get your groove on, while battery life of up to 10 hours per charge makes up for their touchy controls and relative lack of fancy extras.—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
12 July 2025
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As the moon and Chiron clash, addressing a touchy relationship issue provides healing.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
3 July 2025
Adjective
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Sanctions have roiled Russia's economy and Trump could use tougher measures as leverage over Putin, said Richard Portes, professor of economics at London Business School.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Aug. 2025
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The logistics of pushing autonomous vessels out into the deep Pacific is tough.—
Craig Hooper,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Avi tries to comfort his grieving (read: irritable) mother by saying at least his grandmother and grandfather are together again in Heaven.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
22 Aug. 2025
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For years men have blamed divorce on menopause and said women are irritable and irrational, says Alyx Coble-Frake, founder of The Agenda, an app that helps women track their menstrual cycle to help increase productivity.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Britain has since struck a trade deal with the U.S., however, becoming the first country to do so as tetchy trade talks continue for other trading partners, including the European Union which is still waiting to sign a trade agreement with Washington.—
Jenni Reid,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
11 July 2025
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Her new novel, Spent, tells the story of one Alison Bechdel, a tetchy lesbian cartoonist running a pygmy-goat sanctuary in Vermont who is trying to write a memoir about the corrupting influence of money.—
Andrea Long Chu,
Vulture,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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Some say the video represents a rising crime problem in the city, but crime statistics paint a more complicated picture.—
Dan Horn,
The Enquirer,
14 Aug. 2025
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The Code Talkers developed an extensive and complicated code based on their own language, which substituted key military and geographical terms for related images.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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This disconnect suggests that while devices can worsen mental health issues, just removing them doesn't appear to solve more fundamental matters of anxiety, depression or social isolation that drive problematic phone use in the first place.—
Angelica Mari,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
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Still, this is evanescent stuff, hardly weighty enough to get mad about with respect to the aforementioned problematic areas.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ticklish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ticklish. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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