touchy
Quick to take offense
Touchy describes someone who takes offense easily or a situation requiring careful handling.
A touchy person bristles at minor slights; a touchy subject risks provoking strong reactions if raised carelessly.
He's touchy about his height.
The word suggests fragility or volatility—something that might go off at a light touch.
Short-tempered, easily provoked
- tetchyEasily provoked to irritation
- pricklySpiny or irritable
- irascibleProne to outbursts
- peevishHabitually fretful
cantankerous · grumpy · cranky · snappy · petulant · grouchy · cross · short-tempered
Easily hurt by remarks
- guardedWary and restrained
- oversensitiveExcessively prone to offense
- hypersensitiveExcessively reactive to stimuli
- pricklySpiny or irritable
wary · insecure · self-conscious · paranoid · distrustful · suspicious · protective · territorial
Easily affected emotionally
- delicateEasily broken or harmed
- controversialCausing public dispute
- awkwardLacking grace or ease
- difficultRequiring much effort
tricky · thorny · dicey · risky · contentious · provocative · inflammatory · charged
testy
Short-tempered, easily provoked
peevish · cantankerous · grumpy · cranky · snappy · petulant · grouchy · cross · short-tempered · snappish
thin-skinned
Easily hurt by remarks
- guardedWary and restrained
- oversensitiveExcessively prone to offense
- hypersensitiveExcessively reactive to stimuli
prickly · wary · insecure · self-conscious · paranoid · distrustful · suspicious · protective · territorial · combative
sensitive
Easily affected emotionally
- delicateEasily broken or harmed
- controversialCausing public dispute
- awkwardLacking grace or ease
difficult · tricky · thorny · dicey · risky · contentious · provocative · inflammatory · charged · heated
tactile
Of the touching sense
- hands-onInvolving direct physical engagement
- physicalOf body or matter
- palpablePerceptible to touch or senses
grasping · grabby · handsy · clingy · contact · fingering · stroking · fondling · pawing · groping
- easily offendedsensitive, prickly, defensive, testy, huffy
- hot-temperedhotheaded, quick-tempered, hair-trigger, fiery, volatile
- irritabilitycranky, grouchy, grumpy, irritated, annoyed
- slang moodsbummed, chill, cranky, edgy, grumpy
- slang traitsbossy, brainy, bubbly, chatty, cheeky
- reactivereactive, excitable, volatile, high-strung, jumpy
touchythick-skinned
Resistant to criticism
insensitive · unflappable · imperturbable · impervious · unbothered
touchyeasygoing
Relaxed in temperament
laid-back · good-natured · affable · amiable · agreeable
touchycalm
Free from agitation
relaxed · unflappable · imperturbable · even-tempered · composed
- in touchCommunicating regularly
- don't touchProhibition against contact
- keep in touchMaintain ongoing communication
- out of touchLacking current awareness
- do not touchProhibition against contact
- lost touchCeased maintaining contact
touch, touching, touched, untouched, touches, untouchable, touchable, retouch, touchiness