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Added 9 October 2026

touchy

/ˈtʌt͡ʃi/ adjective

adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about touchy at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Quick to take offense.
Difficult to handle; requiring great tact.
delicate negotiations with the big powers

Origin

A variant of earlier tetchy (“cranky, easily annoyed, difficult to handle”), under influence from some senses of touch (“affect, disturb”) and simulating touch + -y.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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