touchy
33
4.9
- adjective
- /ˈtʌtʃi/
:
susceptible
- He's touchy about his weight, so try not to mention it.
- get touchy
- a little touchy
- so touchy
You're too sensitive, you're too touchy, you're too hair triggered.
- You're too sensitive, you're too touchy, you're too hair triggered.
- This is let's see this is from I just don't get his reaction seems very he's very touchy about it.
Examples
-
And they asked her a very touchy, sensitive question.
-
Don't be so touchy.
-
The Chief Officer is getting rather touchy at this point.
-
It's normal; it's even normal for me to get a little touchy about it.
Fiction book (1997) -
"What are you so touchy about?" she said.
Fiction book (1995) -
- Why are you so touchy?
-
Folk can be touchy until they know you, or so I was taught.
Fiction book (1992) -
She's touchy about her car.
-
Finally, we can confront the touchy issue of politics.
Academic text (2005) -
They're quite touchy about anything like that, especially my father.
Fiction book (2001)
Synonyms
13
5.7
Quick to get angry or upset by small things
10
6.1
Feel upset easily when people criticize
7
5.6
Easily upset by what others say or do
5
5.9
Quick to feel annoyed or offended by small remarks
1
5.6
Quick to become annoyed or upset
1
9.1
Being easily annoyed and quick to feel offended
1
8.1
Being easily annoyed by small things
1
9.9
Easily upset or hurt by small harmless remarks
1
8.9
Being rude and getting upset by small things
Easily upset by things people say or do
Very easily upset by what people say or do
Antonyms
Compounds
- Informal
12
7.9
Openly showing too much emotion and physical closeness that makes others uncomfortable
How Sensitive
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Touchy comes from the word touch and the ending -y, so it literally means 'easily touched'. Think of someone's feelings like thin glass: a small word can 'touch' them and cause hurt, so a touchy person is easily offended or upset.