touchy

touchy
touchily, adv.touchiness, n.
/tuch"ee/, adj., touchier, touchiest.
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.
[1595-1605; var. of TECHY, by assoc. with TOUCH]
Syn. 1. testy, irascible, edgy, snappish, cranky. See irritable.

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  • Touchy! — «Touchy! (1988)» Sencillo de a ha del álbum Stay On These Roads Formato 7 , 12 y CD Duración (4:31) (Duración de la Canción) Discográfica Warner Bros. Records …   Wikipedia Español

  • touchy — [tuch′ē] adj. touchier, touchiest [ TOUCH + Y2: also ( TOUCHY sense 1) altered < TECHY] 1. easily offended; oversensitive; irritable 2. sensitive to touch; easily irritated, as a part of the body …   English World dictionary

  • Touchy — Touch y, a. [For techy, tetchy.] Peevish; irritable; irascible; techy; apt to take fire. [Colloq.] [1913 Webster] It may be said of Dryden that he was at no time touchy about personal attacks. Saintsbury. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • touchy — index fractious, perverse, petulant, querulous, resentful, sensitive (easily affected) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C …   Law dictionary

  • touchy — (adj.) too sensitive, c.1600, perhaps an alteration of TETCHY (Cf. tetchy) (q.v.) influenced by TOUCH (Cf. touch) (v.). Related: Touchiness …   Etymology dictionary

  • touchy — *irascible, choleric, splenetic, testy, cranky, cross Analogous words: *irritable, fractious, snappish, waspish, peevish: captious, caviling, faultfinding, carping (see CRITICAL) Antonyms: imperturbable …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • touchy — [adj] easily offended bad tempered, bundle of nerves*, cantankerous, captious, choleric, crabbed, cranky, cross, delicate, dicey*, grouchy, grumpy, hazardous, hypersensitive, irascible, irritable, jumpy*, mean, ornery*, oversensitive, peevish,… …   New thesaurus

  • touchy — ► ADJECTIVE (touchier, touchiest) 1) quick to take offence; oversensitive. 2) (of a situation or issue) requiring careful handling. DERIVATIVES touchily adverb touchiness noun. ORIGIN perhaps an alteration of …   English terms dictionary

  • Touchy! — Infobox Single Name = Touchy! Artist = a ha from Album = Stay on These Roads B side = Hurry Home Released = 15th August 1988 Format = 7 , 12 , Cd Recorded = 1988 Genre = Synthpop New Wave Alternative rock Length = 4:33 Label = Writer = Producer …   Wikipedia

  • touchy — [[t]tʌ̱tʃi[/t]] touchier, touchiest 1) ADJ GRADED: oft ADJ about n (disapproval) If you describe someone as touchy, you mean that they are easily upset, offended, or irritated. She is very touchy about her past... Don t be so touchy. Syn:… …   English dictionary

  • touchy — UK [ˈtʌtʃɪ] / US adjective Word forms touchy : adjective touchy comparative touchier superlative touchiest a) becoming angry or upset very easily touchy about: Are you always so touchy about your work? b) likely to make people angry or upset… …   English dictionary

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