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Glite Dictionary
touchy-feely conversation

touchy-feely conversation

7.9
A talk where people openly share personal feelings
  • noun
  • /ˈtʌtʃi ˈfili kənˈvərseɪʃən/
  • Informal
translation icon : conversación sentimental
  • After the movie, we had a touchy-feely conversation about how it made us feel.

Examples

  • The group therapy session often leads to touchy-feely conversations that allow everyone to express their emotions.

  • During the meeting, they engaged in a touchy-feely conversation about their feelings and personal experiences.

  • I will fight for my principles, and I will not give them up just to be part of some touchy-feely conversation.

    Blog text (15)

  • Sally and Skye cuddle together on one of the benches around the pool, chatting; a friendly, touchy-feely conversation.

    Fiction book (2001)

Synonyms

sentimentality
vstouchy-feely conversation
17 5.5

A way of showing too much emotion that seems false

is open emotional talk without suggesting exaggeration or falseness
emotionalism
vstouchy-feely conversation
4 7.3

The act of showing very strong feelings, often more than needed

is emotion-focused talk but not necessarily intense or excessive
sentimentalism
vstouchy-feely conversation
1 7.9

A tendency to show too much tender or nostalgic feeling about the past

is emotional talk that may not push emotion over truth
heartfelt speech
vstouchy-feely conversation
1 3.7

A sincere spoken message that shows deep feeling

is open emotional talk that can be sincere but not always deep
mawkishness
vstouchy-feely conversation
1 9.5

A feeling of too much fake emotion that seems overly sweet

is sincere overt emotion without the cloying, fake sweetness
sappiness
vstouchy-feely conversation
  • Informal
1 6.3

Being too emotional in a way that seems not sincere

is emotional expression without necessarily being excessive or shallow
saccharine tone
vstouchy-feely conversation
1 8.4

A way of speaking or writing that sounds too sweet and not real

is openly emotional speech without the sickly sweet tone
drippiness
vstouchy-feely conversation
9.6

A feeling that is too emotional and seems false

is direct emotional talk rather than an overdone display
slobbery
vstouchy-feely conversation
  • Informal
4.9

Too sentimental and not sincere

is plain overt feeling without theatrical or gushy display

Antonyms

dryness
1 5.8

A way of speaking and behaving that shows little warmth or feeling

How Emotional

touchy-feely conversation
  • Informal
7.9
heart-to-heart
  • Informal
18 4.1
small talk
  • Informal
65 2.1

Surface Forms

touchy-feely conversation singular
touchy-feely conversations plural

Morphology

touchy-feely + conversation

The compound 'touchy-feely' evokes the ideas of touch and feeling, so a learner who knows those constituents can infer that a 'touchy-feely conversation' involves physical or emotional intimacy or overt emotional expression. However, 'feely' is not a standard standalone word and the precise idiomatic nuance (sentimentality/overly emotional rather than literal touching) is not fully predictable without prior exposure, so the meaning is only partly transparent.

Etymology

Touchy-feely conversation comes from group meetings and therapy where people would hug or touch and openly talk about their feelings. Because the words touchy (touch) and feely (feel) create that image, the phrase now means 'a talk where people show a lot of feeling'.