i Register
In some senses, touchy is marked as informal. Watch for register when choosing this word.
touchy
/ˈtʌt͡ʃi/
adj 3
Collocations
5ADJ.
clear, new
VERB + TOUCHY
steer
TOUCHY + NOUN
everybody's, i'm, joker, situation, topic
PREP.
about, with
ADV.
extremely, feely, quite, really
Definitions
adj
1
Extremely sensitive or volatile; easily disturbed to the point of becoming unstable; requiring caution or tactfulness.
It is an extremely touchy situation, with everybody's patience wearing thin.
2
Easily offended, oversensitive.
He can be very touchy when you talk about his cat, so be as tactful as possible.
Ashley: Look at the size of that ship! Kaidan: The Ascension. Flagship of the Citadel fleet. Joker: Well, size isn't everything. Ashley: Why so touchy, Joker? Joker: I'm just saying you need firepower, too.
3
Inclined to engage in physical touch.
Thesaurus
Idioms & Phrases
Example Bank
601
It is an extremely touchy situation, with everybody's patience wearing thin.
Wiktionary02
He can be very touchy when you talk about his cat, so be as tactful as possible.
Wiktionary03
Ashley: Look at the size of that ship! Kaidan: The Ascension. Flagship of the Citadel fleet. Joker: Well, size isn't everything. Ashley: Why so touchy, Joker? Joker: I'm just saying you need firepower
Wiktionary04
She's really touchy about her new braces.
Tatoeba · #52684405
On a first date, it's best to steer clear of touchy subjects.
Tatoeba · #67167206
Tom is touchy.
Tatoeba · #2236884Usage Notes
Your note
not saved0 chars