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to touch

to touch

250 2.9
To make someone feel strong emotion, often sadness or gratitude
  • verb
  • /tʌtʃ/
: conmover
  • Welcome to the Lady Claudia Maria, former wife of Lucius Caius Marius whose recent execution touched us all deeply.
  • emotionally touched
  • touch a life
  • touched by tragedy

How many people can I serve, reach, touch, inspire.

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Examples

  • The story touched my heart and made me reflect on my own life.

  • Or are you so used to it by now that nothing really touches you?

  • What if you had the chance to not only touch history, but create it?

  • How many people can I serve, reach, touch, inspire.

  • Every single thing you touch is impacted by your story.

  • Daniel was a man who touched many of us here today, including me.

  • Before you can inspire, before you can touch, you must first connect.

  • Years ago, my life was touched by tragedy.

  • I want to scale and touch just an untold number of lives.

  • Israel's struggles against its implacable opponents also touch many responsive chords around the world.

    Academic text (2013)

Synonyms

to affect
vsto touch
∞ 3.0

To cause a change in a person or thing

is specifically about causing an emotional response rather than any change
to hit
vsto touch
978 2.8

To suddenly make someone feel a strong emotion

covers emotional influence more generally, not necessarily sudden or severe
to impact
vsto touch
305 3.4

To have a strong effect on someone or something

is the emotional side of that influence rather than any strong effect
to stir
vsto touch
221 3.7

To make someone feel a strong emotion

is more general, covering any emotional effect not only strong ones
to move
vsto touch
105 3.4

Make someone feel strong emotions

is used for causing emotional effect of any intensity
to hit home
vsto touch
45 5.5

To make someone suddenly understand how serious something is

focuses on emotional influence without implying sudden realization
to touch a nerve
vsto touch
  • Informal
11 7.7

Make someone feel upset or defensive by mentioning a sensitive subject

is broader and may be used without accidental or sensitive implications
deeply affected
vsto touch
8 4.3

Feeling very sad or moved by something

is the action of creating emotional impact rather than the resulting state
to touch the heart
vsto touch
5 3.7

Make someone feel strong emotion or sympathy

is broader and covers emotional effects beyond sympathy or tenderness
to touch a chord
vsto touch
  • Informal
2 5.8

To make a person feel a strong emotion

is the general emotional influence, not limited to vivid reactions
to resonate deeply
vsto touch
2 6.4

To make someone feel a strong personal connection

can mean emotional effect without the sense of personal significance

Idioms

92 4.9

Not aware of recent events or people's feelings

75 2.3

A small amount of something added to improve or change it

26 3.0

A small extra detail that makes something look or feel better

to touch a nerve
  • Informal
11 7.7

Make someone feel upset or defensive by mentioning a sensitive subject

No longer have the skill you once had to do something well

Midas touch
  • Informal
5 8.1

A special ability to make money or do well in many things

Make someone feel strong emotion or sympathy

to touch a chord
  • Informal
2 5.8

To make a person feel a strong emotion

2 6.1

A natural ability to do something well

1 9.3

To tell viewers or listeners to keep watching and not change the channel during a break in the show

1 8.3

You say it to try to stop bad luck after saying something good

1 9.1

Tell someone not to change the radio or television channel before a show returns

Ask an important person for help or a blessing

To become less good at something you used to do well

Refuse to be involved with people or things that seem dangerous and dishonest

A rude slang way to say someone shows small signs of autism and may offend people

Phrasal Verbs

194 2.3

Contact someone after not talking for a while

Continue to talk or write to someone after you move away

77 3.4

To mention something briefly without giving details

49 3.6

To land on the ground after a flight

26 3.8

Make small changes to something to improve how it looks

21 4.0

To affect something or someone, often slightly

18 3.5

To make brief contact to give or get an update

16 7.4

Make an event or strong reaction start suddenly

to touch oneself
  • Offensive
1 9.8

To touch your own private parts for sexual pleasure

1 9.9

To touch your own sexual parts to feel pleasure at night

To put a plan aside and often leave it without action

8.4

To take a break from online life and spend time outside in nature

Compounds

A last small detail that makes something look or feel complete

27 2.7

A screen you touch to control a phone or tablet

touch-and-go
  • Informal
20 7.2

A situation that is dangerous or uncertain until the last moment

13 3.9

A small repair to make something look better

11 3.9

A gentle, brief contact made with little force

9 3.2

A version of American football where players touch the player with the ball to stop them instead of tackling

9 3.7

A gentle way of touching or handling people and objects

A small amount of care that makes something special

The ability to feel things through the skin

A small extra detail that makes something feel nicer

3 4.6

A way of connecting with ordinary people that makes them feel understood

golden touch
  • Informal
2 5.2

A skill for making projects succeed easily

bad touch
  • Offensive
2 9.0

Unwanted physical contact that makes someone feel scared or uncomfortable

1 3.6

A way to use all fingers on a keyboard without looking at it

two touch
  • Jargon
1 6.2

A football exercise where each player may touch the ball only twice before passing

1 4.1

Used for small repairs that make something look better

1 4.6

A form of football where another player stops someone by touching them with both hands

1 5.4

A person who uses a keyboard without looking at the keys

touch-me-not
  • Specialized
1 8.6

A plant with seed pods that burst when you touch them and release seeds

soft touch
  • Offensive
1 7.0

A person who easily agrees and can be taken advantage of

A small detail that makes something look beautiful and special

touch sensation
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A feeling on the skin when something presses or rests on it

1 9.8

A tendency to make everything a person touches fail

touch perception
  • Specialized
1 4.5

Ability to feel pressure, heat, or pain on the skin

1 3.7

To type by pressing keys without looking, using trained finger positions

A small detail that makes something look brighter and happier

game of two touch
  • Australian
8.4

Touch football where another player touches someone twice to tackle them

touch modality
  • Specialized
7.0

The sense that lets you feel objects through physical contact

touch-me-not
  • Specialized
9.5

A plant with leaves that fold together when you touch them

5.5

A practice where soccer players control and pass the ball using two touches

How Moved

to overwhelm
193 4.4
to stir
221 3.7
to move
105 3.4
to touch
250 2.9

Surface Forms

touch infinitive
touched past
touched past participle
touching present participle
touches third person singular

Etymology

Touch comes from the old French toucher, originally 'to strike' or 'to feel with the hand', and by a small step this idea came to mean 'to move someone's feelings', which is why something can touch you emotionally.