touch

TUCH/tʌt͡ʃ/

Verbtouches, touching, touched

Noun pluraltouches

55 meanings of touch

Practice

1
contact (hand)verbtransitive
To put your hand, finger, or something you are holding against someone or something.
Like pressing a button with your finger.
Please don't touch the wet paint.
She touched the soft fabric to feel how warm it was.
UsageYou touch something with your hand to feel if it is soft or hot.
Similarhandle, feel, finger
2
gentle contactnouncountable or uncountable
The act of putting your hand or finger on something.
A gentle touch on the arm calmed the frightened child.
She felt the soft touch of the breeze on her face.
UsageSay a touch on the arm.
Similarcontact
3
keeping in contactnoununcountable
A close connection where people stay in contact and understand each other.
I try to stay in touch with old friends.
They lost touch a few years after college.
UsageSay keep in touch or get in touch with someone.
Similarcontact, connection
4
move emotionallyverbtransitive
To make someone feel strong emotions, often gentle or sad ones.
Like a warm hug that makes you feel cared for.
The kind letter really touched her.
Stories like this touch everyone who hears them.
UsageSay I was touched when a kind act moves you.
Similarmove, affect, stir
Note
5
signature detailnouncountable or uncountable
A small detail that gives something its own special style.
The fresh flowers added a nice touch to the room.
Her handwritten note was a thoughtful touch.
UsageSay a nice touch or the finishing touches.
Similarfeature, characteristic, trait, quality, attribute
6
a dashnouncountable or uncountable
A very small amount of something.
Like a tiny pinch of salt, not a big spoonful.
Add just a touch of salt to the soup.
There was a touch of sadness in her voice.
UsageSay a touch of salt or a touch more.
Similarbit, dash, hint, dab, drop
Note
7
be in contactverbtransitive
Of things: to come so close that they meet or rest against something or each other.
Like two cars parked so close that their bumpers press together.
Don't let your coat touch the wet paint on the door.
The ladder touches the wall just below the window.
Similarbrush, graze, contact, meet
8
concernverbtransitive
To be about or have something to do with a subject.
The new rule does not touch part-time workers.
This is an issue that touches everyone in our town.
Similaraffect, concern, involve, address, regard
Note
9
sense of feelingnouncountable or uncountable
The sense that lets you feel things through your skin.
Like feeling if something is hot or soft with your skin.
Her sense of touch is so sharp she can read braille quickly.
Babies learn about the world through touch.
UsageSay soft to the touch, or know something by touch.
Similartactility
10
mention brieflyverbintransitive
To talk or write about a subject for a short time, without many details.
The book touches on her childhood but spends most of its pages on her career.
In her speech, she wanted to touch on her years as a nurse.
UsageUse with on or upon: touch on a topic.
Similarrefer
Note
11
lay hands onverbtransitive
To bother or harm someone or something by making contact.
Don't touch my things without asking.
Don't you dare touch my little brother!
UsageOften in warnings: don't touch him.
Similardisturb, handle, harm
Note
12
caress sexuallyverbtransitive
To touch someone's body, or your own, in a private or sexual way.
Like a hug or a hand on the shoulder between close friends.
She didn't want anyone to touch her without asking first.
The man on the bus kept touching her leg, so she moved to another seat.
UsagePeople often say touched inappropriately.
Similarfondle, caress
13
skillnouncountable or uncountable
A natural skill for doing something well.
My grandma has a special touch with crying babies.
After years away from the kitchen, he worried he had lost his touch.
UsageSay I've lost my touch when a skill goes.
Similarskill, knack, ability, talent, aptitude
14
no-tackle rugbynounAustraliacountable or uncountable
A kind of rugby game in which players are not allowed to tackle each other.
On Sundays we take a rugby ball down to the park and play touch.
Mum plays touch on Tuesday nights, and nobody ever gets tackled.
UsageSay play touch.
Note

Less common meanings

15
consumeverbtransitive
To start to eat, drink, or use something.
He didn't touch his dinner all evening.
She never touches coffee after noon.
UsageMostly with not: he didn't touch his food.
Similarconsume, partake
Note
16
damageverbtransitive
To change or affect something physically, in a way that is clear from the situation.
The frost touched the young plants overnight.
This stain is so old that soap won't touch it.
Similaraffect, damage, reach
17
peak atverbtransitive
To reach a certain amount or level, often for only a short time.
On hot days the temperature can touch ninety degrees.
Gas prices touched four dollars a gallon last summer.
Similarnear
Note
18
be as goodverbtransitive
To be as good as someone or something else.
No other bakery in town can touch their pastries.
When it comes to chess, few players can touch her.
UsageNothing can touch it means nothing is as good.
Similarmatch, equal, rival, parallel
Note
19
out of playnouncountable or uncountable
In some sports, the area just outside the side lines of the field.
Like the area outside the lines on a basketball court, where the ball is out of play.
The ball rolled into touch near the corner flag.
He kicked the ball out into touch to stop the attack.
UsageSay the ball went into touch.
20
playing stylenouncountable or uncountable
The personal way someone plays a musical instrument.
Like how each person's handwriting looks a little different.
She has a gentle touch on the piano.
His touch on the guitar makes every song sound warm.
UsageSay a player has a light touch.
Similartechnique, style, feel
Note
21
brush strokenouncountable or uncountable
A single mark or stroke made on a drawing or painting.
Like adding one small mark of paint to finish a picture.
She added a bird to the sky with one quick touch of her brush.
With a careful touch of the brush, she finished the sketch.
Similarstroke, dab, dash, flick
Note
22
chasing gamenouncountable or uncountable
A chasing game where one child catches the others by tagging them.
Like the game of tag, where one person is 'it' and chases everyone else.
The kids played touch, chasing and tagging each other around the yard.
A game of touch broke out during recess.
UsageYou play touch. It is also called tag.
Similartag, chase, catch, tig
23
affect the mindverbtransitive
To affect someone's mind so they behave in a slightly strange or crazy way.
Like a radio that won't tune in clearly, so the sound comes out muddled.
Folks said the old hermit was touched, the way he kept arguing with the trees.
After years alone at sea, he came back a little touched in the head.
UsagePeople say touched in the head. It is unkind.
Similarmadden, craze, derange
24
get money fromverbslangtransitive
To get money from a friend by asking to borrow it.
Like asking a friend for a loan when your wallet is empty.
He tried to touch his roommate for rent money.
She touched her cousin for twenty dollars last week.
UsageSay touch a friend for some money.
Similartap, hit
25
have sexverbtransitive
A polite or indirect way of saying to have sex with someone.
In those days a man would not touch a woman before marriage.
He swore he had never touched anyone but his wife.
Note
26
add a hint ofverbtransitive
To give something a small amount of a quality or feeling.
Like a little salt that changes the taste of a whole meal.
A faint smile touched her lips as she read the letter.
Sadness seemed to touch every word of his speech.
UsageSay touched with gold or touched with sadness.
Similartinge, tint, color
Note
27
nounslang
The act of getting money from someone by asking for it or borrowing.
But towards evening I got a touch at a cove's suck, and eased him of twenty-two quids and a lil, which I took in the usual manner, when he was entering the inn door.
1821, David Haggart, Life of David Haggart
28
verb
To update the time on a computer file so it looks recently changed.
29
noun
In Australian rules football, each time a player kicks the ball or punches it away by hand.
30
verb
Of a ship, to stop for a short time at a place.
31
verb
To try to cure scrofula by laying a hand on someone, as English and French rulers once did.
But in fact the English kings of the seventeenth century usually began to touch form the day of their accession, without waiting for any such consecration.
1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic
32
verbobsolete
To grip, or to have an effect.
Strong waters pierce metals, and will touch upon gold, that will not touch upon silver.
1627, Francis [Bacon], Sylua Syluarum
33
verb
To turn a sail into the wind until the edge facing the wind starts to shake.
34
verb
Of a sail, to shake because the boat faces too far into the wind.
35
verb
To sail as close to the wind as you can.
36
verbdated
To hurt or damage something a little.
37
verbdialectalScottish
To approve a proposed law for the ruler by tapping it with a royal rod.
38
verb
To test how good or real something is.
39
verb
To add small marks to a drawing or painting.
40
verbobsolete
To pass a disease to someone or something, or to affect them slightly.
Hee was touched with great Remorse
1622, Francis, Lord Verulam
41
verb
To play a musical instrument with your hands.
42
verb
To play a tune or other piece of music.
43
verb
To push someone to act.
44
noun
How an instrument's keys feel when you press them.
45
nounobsolete
The power to make people feel something.
Not alone / The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches, / Do strongly speak to us.
c. 1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”
46
nounobsolete
A feeling.
a true, natural, and a sensible touch of mercy
1594, Richard Hooker, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie
47
nounobsolete
The way a remark points to or applies to a particular person.
Speech of touch toward others should be sparingly used.
1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Discourse”
48
nounobsolete
A short piece of writing on one subject.
Print my preface in such form as, in the booksellers' phrase, will make a sixpenny touch.
1713, A Preface to Bishop Burnet's Introduction, Jonathan Swift
49
nounobsolete
A stone used to test gold.
Now do I play the touch.
c. 1593, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third:”
50
nounobsolete
A test that shows how good something is.
friends of noble touch
c. 1608, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”
51
noun
The widest part of a tapered ship's board.
52
noun
A short piece of bell ringing, with fewer than 5,040 changes.
53
nounslang
How much something costs or matters to someone.
54
noundatedUK
Hard animal fat, used for candles and soap.
55
noun
How well someone is playing right now.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of touch apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

This word came into English from Old French tochier, meaning "to touch." It goes back through Latin and Frankish to an old root meaning to knock, pull, or grab.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

English borrowed touch from Old French tochier. en.wiktionary.org
Old French tochier means “to touch.” en.wiktionary.org
The word has a Vulgar Latin ancestor. en.wiktionary.org