touchy

comparative touchier · superlative touchiest

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.

   1 more example

   Eminent Americans are to be invited to direct by will their interment there; and in the case of Americans not so eminent as to be invited, but who have nevertheless expressed a wish to join the others, a committee will decide. It seems a touchy business all along...

   1927, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados Mysteries

   Synonyms: tetchy, delicate, touch and go, scabrous

2. Easily offended, oversensitive.

   He can be very touchy when you talk about his estranged son, so be as tactful as possible.

   2 more examples

   I can assure you, Mr Hosier, that other people are much more touchy about my blindness than I am.

   1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC

   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.

   2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Bridge, Command Deck, SSV Normandy

   Synonyms: tetchy, irritable, irascible, cranky

3. informalInclined to engage in physical touch.

   Synonyms: handsy, touchy-feely · Antonyms: untouchy

1. ambitransitivechildishTo touch.

   Shiny, shiny... show up greasy fingerprinties, must no touchy the precious, smeagles...

   2009 April 10, John Stubbings, “The best free antivirus: a comparison”, in alt.comp.freeware (Usenet), archived from the original on 06 Aug 2026

   2 more examples

   No need to mention the magical tree of knowledge which the idiot deity placed in front of its play beings thusly saying, "No. No touchy. (guffaw) No. Bad play beings. (snicker) No. You will suffer the ultimate punishment. No! (bwahahahaha). Don't!", wherein a talking snake convinces the female to eat from it and none of them perish. Wholely believable? Huh?

   2001 September 1, Robert Templeton, “Evolution? Nope!”, in alt.talk.creationism (Usenet), archived from the original on 06 Aug 2026

   As to the definition of so called sober iety,^([sic]) as in clean and sober, we could use the definition the the^([sic]) National Treatment Center Study utilized in it's^([sic]) search for the truth no touchy the addictive substance for six months after treatment.

   2003 January 31, STAAMFA, “sobriety defined - the most inside of AA issues”, in alt.recovery.aa (Usenet), archived from the original on 06 Aug 2026