Synonyms for touchy
- adjective
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Testy — easily offended, oversensitive
testy, sensitive, irritable, peevish, irascible, tetchy UK US IE, funny, petulant, thin-skinned, cantankerous, cranky, cross, sore, huffy informal, choleric, edgy, passionate, fretful, surly, feisty, quick-tempered, quick
2. Delicate — extremely sensitive or volatile; easily disturbed to the point of becoming unstable; requiring caution or…
3. Touchy-feely — inclined to engage in physical touch
Other
Definitions
- adj. 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.
- adj. 2
Easily offended, oversensitive.
He can be very touchy when you talk about his estranged son, so be as tactful as possible.
- adj. 3
Inclined to engage in physical touch.
Related words
- Word family
- touchiness
Example sentences
- sensitive Slavery is still a sensitive subject around here.
- irritable Tom is usually a little irritable in the morning.
- testy He gets really testy when he doesn't get his way.
- peevish Tom woke up feeling rather peevish.
- ticklish Both Tom and Mary said that they weren't ticklish.
By length
- 4 letters
- sore1, edgy2
- 5 letters
- funny2, cross1, quick1, surly2, testy2, huffy2
- 6 letters
- cranky2, feisty2, handsy, tetchy
- 7 letters
- fretful2, peevish2
- 8 letters
- delicate3, petulant3, ticklish3, scabrous, choleric3
- 9 letters
- sensitive3, irritable4, irascible4
- 10 letters
- passionate3
- 12 letters
- cantankerous4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (edgy2 = 2 syllables).