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touchily

 - 3 dictionary results

touch⋅y

  [tuhch-ee]
Use touchily in a Sentence
–adjective, touch⋅i⋅er, touch⋅i⋅est.
1. apt to take offense on slight provocation; irritable: He is very touchy when he's sick.
2. requiring caution, tactfulness, or expert handling; precarious; risky: a touchy subject; a touchy situation.
3. sensitive to touch.
4. easily ignited, as tinder.
Origin:
1595–1605; var. of techy, by assoc. with touch

Related forms:
touch⋅i⋅ly, adverb
touch⋅i⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. testy, irascible, edgy, snappish, cranky. See irritable.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To touchily
touch·y   (tŭch'ē)   
adj.   touch·i·er, touch·i·est

  1. Tending to take offense with slight cause; oversensitive.

  2. Requiring special tact or skill in handling; delicate: a touchy situation.

  3. Highly sensitive to touch. Used of a body part.

  4. Easily ignited; flammable.

touch'i·ly adv., touch'i·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

touchy 
"too sensitive," 1605, perhaps an alt. of tetchy (q.v.) infl. by touch (v.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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