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a bit ouchy

a bit ouchy

9.9
Hurts a little, for example after a small scrape
  • adjective
  • Informal
translation icon : un poco dolorido
  • Getting your ears pierced can be a bit ouchy at first.

Examples

  • That scrape on my knee is a bit ouchy, but I’ll be fine.

  • After the dentist visit, my tooth felt a bit ouchy all afternoon.

  • My knee feels a bit ouchy after the fall.

  • This chair is a bit ouchy for my back.

  • Getting your ears pierced can be a bit ouchy for a few seconds, but it gets better quickly.

  • After the dentist visit, my tooth felt a bit ouchy when I tried to eat something cold.

  • That scrape on my knee is a bit ouchy, especially when I walk on it.

Synonyms

sore
vsa bit ouchy
192 1.0

Having pain in a part of the body when touched

is milder and refers to only slight or mild discomfort
tender
vsa bit ouchy
24 3.4

Sore when touched or moved

describes general slight pain rather than sensitivity to touch
hurty
vsa bit ouchy
  • Baby Talk
1 8.7

Feeling sore and in pain after a fall or bump

is a mild neutral expression for slight physical discomfort

Antonyms

494 1.0

Not feeling pain or physical discomfort

39 1.0

Not causing physical hurt or emotional upset

How Painful

excruciating
46 7.9
painful
737 1.0
sore
192 1.0
a bit ouchy
  • Informal
9.9
unharmed
44 2.1

Surface Forms

a bit ouchy positive
a bit ouchier comparative
a bit ouchiest superlative

Morphology

a + bit + ouchy

The meaning is directly compositional: 'a bit' = slightly and 'ouchy' is a transparent adjective formed from the interjection 'ouch' + the productive suffix -y meaning 'causing pain'. A B1 learner who knows 'a', 'bit', and the idea of 'ouch' (and understands common adjective formation) can readily infer 'slightly painful' without prior exposure.

Etymology

A bit ouchy comes from the little pain word ouch. People say ouch when something hurts and make ouch into ouchy to describe that feeling, and adding a bit shows the pain is only small, so the phrase means 'slightly painful'.