1
as in sensitive
easily offended
watch what you say around him, as he's very touchy about every little thing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
3
as in combustible
capable of catching or being set on fire
the experiment involves the use of some touchy chemicals, so caution is required
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Xinjiang has long been a touchy issue in neighboring Kazakhstan, a Central Asian country of 20 million people that relies on China as a major trading partner.
—
ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
The conversation, by turns comfortable and touchy, is familiar enough.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
Ward expense accounts have been a touchy area for mayoral administrations to encroach on in times of austerity.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Potential increases in already-high bills that customers shoulder have become a touchy subject, to say the least.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for touchy
ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
The conversation, by turns comfortable and touchy, is familiar enough.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
Ward expense accounts have been a touchy area for mayoral administrations to encroach on in times of austerity.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Potential increases in already-high bills that customers shoulder have become a touchy subject, to say the least.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for touchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touchy
Adjective
-
But in all these cases, unopened soda is shelf-stable and not sensitive to refrigeration cycles.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
24 May 2026
-
Raw vegetables may preserve nutrients that are sensitive to heat, while cooked vegetables can make others easier to absorb.—
Lynn Andriani,
Martha Stewart,
24 May 2026
Adjective
-
Building the program had proved difficult.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
-
Sindcom 14-Piece Food Storage Containers Set The pantry is one of the most difficult places to organize thanks to boxes of cereal, pasta, baking ingredients, and more scattered about.—
Kelsey Fredricks,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
Adjective
-
Longoria’s approach to the wild fervour that continually swirls around the Velodrome was to try to harness it by hiring comparably combustible coaches like Jorge Sampaoli, Igor Tudor, Gennaro Gattuso and De Zerbi.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
The song, performed by violinist Linda Lampenius and vocalist Pete Parkkonen, featured a potentially combustible mix of open flames and a flowing dress.—
Andrew Jones,
NBC news,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
That’s because the Moon is at odds with Mars today and everyone is irritable.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
7 May 2026
-
What are the symptoms of irritable bowel disease?—
Lindy Segal,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Management has partly attributed the membership slowdown to tougher comparisons from a year earlier, but there’s more to the story.—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
28 May 2026
-
The California Assembly on Thursday overwhelming voted in favor of a bill that would prohibit children under 16 years old from having a social media account, setting up what is likely to continue to be a tough battle over the coming months.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
The primary goal of the overnight operation, conducted with the support of a chemist team, was to neutralize a 15,000-gallon tank, removing its explosive potential in case the neighboring 7,000-gallon tank detonates, according to Covey.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2026
-
That added to the explosive ending, which brought cheers from SpaceX employees watching the video stream from Texas.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
In the first week of testimony, Musk took the stand and couldn’t help but get tetchy.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
-
Edgily eager to shoot their scenes and get a move on with their acting lives, the increasingly tetchy trio are stuck in virtual drydock as all actual moviemaking has drained away.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Claire’s elective death therefore remains a problematic choice for some viewers, an act of vainglorious selfishness from a woman who was never terribly nice to begin with.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2026
-
The problematic types are the social wasps, who live together in a colony with a queen.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Touchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touchy. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
