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Touchy

//ˈtʌt͡ʃi// adj, slang

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 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."

  2. 2
    Easily offended, oversensitive.

    "He can be very touchy when you talk about his cat, so be as tactful as possible."

  3. 3
    Inclined to engage in physical touch. informal
Adjective
  1. 1
    difficult to handle; requiring great tact wordnet
  2. 2
    quick to take offense wordnet

Etymology

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

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