Word.ws English Dictionary

touch

/tʌt͡ʃ/

More pronunciations (1)Fewer pronunciations

archaic/tɛt͡ʃ/

touch verb: to make physical contact with; to bring the hand, finger or other part of the body into contact with.

Verb

touch (third-person singular simple present touches, present participle touching, simple past and past participle touched or (obsolete) toucht)

  1. (transitive) To make physical contact with; to bring the hand, finger or other part of the body into contact with.
    • I touched his face softly.
    • While thus she spake, / She toucht his eye-lashes with libant lip / And breath'd ambrosial odours; […]1803, Walter Savage Landor, “Book VI”, in Gebir; a Poem: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Slatter and Munday; and sold by R. S. Kirby, […], →OCLC, page 107
    Synonyms:
    contact, feel, grope, handle
  2. (transitive) To come into (involuntary) contact with; to meet or intersect.
    • Sitting on the bench, the hem of her skirt touched the ground.
  3. (intransitive) To come into physical contact, or to be in physical contact.
    • They stood next to each other, their shoulders touching.
  4. (intransitive) To make physical contact with a thing.
    • Please can I have a look, if I promise not to touch?
  5. (transitive) To physically disturb; to interfere with, molest, or attempt to harm through contact.
    • If you touch her, I'll kill you.
    • Let us make a covenant with thee, that thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 27:28-29
  6. (transitive) To make intimate physical contact with a person.
    • The man was arrested for touching a girl without her consent.
    Synonyms:
    caress, fondle, grope
  7. (intransitive, rare, reflexive, transitive) To sexually excite with the fingers; to finger or masturbate.
    • Her parents had caught her touching herself when she was fifteen.
  8. To have sexual intercourse with
    • Tell me the truth, did you touch her?
  9. (transitive) To cause to be briefly in physical contact with something.
    • He quickly touched his knee to the worn marble.
    • The demonstrator nearly touched the rod on the ball.
  10. (transitive) To physically affect in specific ways implied by context.
    • Frankly, this wood's so strong that sandpaper won't touch it.
  11. (transitive) To begin to consume, or otherwise use.
    • Are you all right? You've hardly touched your lunch.
    • But Richmond[…]appeared to lose himself in his own reflections. Some pickled crab, which he had not touched, had been removed with a damson pie; and his sister saw[…]that he had eaten no more than a spoonful of that either.1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 1, in The Unknown Ajax
  12. (intransitive) Of a ship or its passengers: to land, to make a short stop (at).
    • Now a certain grand merchant ship once touched at Rokovoko, and its commander — from all accounts, a very stately punctilious gentleman, at least for a sea captain — this commander was invited to the wedding feast of Queequeg's sister, a pretty young princess just turned of ten.1851 November 14, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC
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  1. (historical, transitive) To lay hands on (someone suffering from scrofula) as a form of cure, as formerly practised by English and French monarchs.
    • But in fact the English kings of the seventeenth century usually began to touch from the day of their accession, without waiting for any such consecration.1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society, published 2012, page 189
  2. (intransitive, obsolete) To fasten; to take effect; to make impression.
    • Strong waters pierce metals, and will touch upon gold, that will not touch upon silver.1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted...
  3. To bring (a sail) so close to the wind that its weather leech shakes.
  4. (intransitive) To be brought, as a sail, so close to the wind that its weather leech shakes.
  5. To keep the ship as near (the wind) as possible.
    • to touch the wind
  6. (transitive) To imbue or endow with a specific quality.
    • My grandfather, as many people know, was touched with greatness.
    • This year, J. Allen Collier, the artistic director and producer, invited choreographers to create dance pieces exploring the multi-faceted responses to the AIDS crisis. This thematic unity touched the show with additional solemnity and grace.1988 April 9, Vicki Gabriner, “Dancing for the Living and the Dead”, in Gay Community News, page 6
  7. (archaic, transitive) To deal with in speech or writing; to mention briefly, to allude to.
    • Next to sorrow still I may annex such accidents as procure fear; for besides those terrors which I have before touched, […] there is a superstitious fear […] which much trouble many of us., I.2.4.vii
  8. (intransitive) To deal with in speech or writing; briefly to speak or write (on or upon something).
    • 'Well, but since we have touched upon this business, and for the last time I hope,' continued the doctor, 'there is one point I should like you to understand.[…]'1886 January 5, Robert Louis Stevenson, “Dr. Jekyll Was Quite at Ease”, in Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC, page 33
  9. (transitive) To concern, to have to do with.
    • Men of Israhell take hede to youreselves what ye entende to do as touchinge these men.1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Acts
    • The stories did not seem to me to touch life. They were plainly intended to have a bracing moral effect, and perhaps had this result for the people at whom they were aimed. They left me with the impression of a well-delivered stereopticon lecture, with characters about as life-like as the shadows...1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter I, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC
  10. (transitive, usually, with-negation) To engage with, to be involved with.
    • I wouldn't touch that with a ten-foot pole.
    • His latest play is so shocking that his publisher wouldn't touch it and his friends almost dumped him.2005 February 9, Lyn Gardner, “The devil inside”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 27 Apr 2023
  11. (transitive) To affect emotionally; to bring about tender or painful feelings in.
    • If you are so fond over her iniquity, give her patent
      to offend, for if it touch not you, it comes near
      nobody.c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac...
    • Stefan was touched by the song's message of hope.
    Synonyms:
    affect, move, stir
  12. (dated, transitive) To affect in a negative way, especially only slightly.
    • He had been drinking over lunch, and was clearly touched.
  13. (Scottish, transitive) To give royal assent to by touching it with the sceptre.
    • The bill was finally touched after many hours of deliberation.
  14. (slang, transitive) To obtain money from, usually by borrowing (from a friend).
    • I was running short, so I touched old Bertie for a fiver.
  15. (transitive, always passive) To disturb the mental functions of; to make somewhat insane; often followed with "in the head".
    • You must be touched if you think I'm taking your advice.
  16. (transitive) To be on the level of; to approach in excellence or quality.
    • There was his mistress, Maria Morano. I don't think I've ever seen anything to touch her, and when you work for the screen [as I do] you're apt to have a pretty exacting standard of female beauty.1928, Dorothy L. Sayers, “The Abominable History of the Man with Copper Fingers”, in Lord Peter Views the Body
    • 'Lind Arden was a great genius, one of the greatest tragic actresses in the world. As Lady Macbeth, as Magda, there was no one to touch her.'1934, Agatha Christie, chapter 6, in Murder on the Orient Express, London: HarperCollins, published 2017, page 118
  17. (transitive) To come close to; to approach.
    • On Sunday afternoon it was as dark as night, with barely room for two riders abreast on a gradient that touches 20%.2012 July 15, Richard Williams, Tour de France 2012: Carpet tacks cannot force Bradley Wiggins off track, Guardian Unlimited
    Synonyms:
    near
  18. (transitive) To mark (a file or document) as having been modified.
  19. To try; to prove, as with a touchstone.
    • I mean to touch your love indeed.c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac...
    Synonyms:
    test
  20. To mark or delineate with touches; to add a slight stroke to with the pencil or brush.
    • The lines, though touched but faintly, are drawn right.1711 May, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Criticism, London: […] W[illiam] Lewis […]; and sold by W[illiam] Taylor […], T[homas] Osborn[e] […], and J[ohn] Graves […], →OCLC
  21. (obsolete) To infect; to affect slightly.
    • Hee was touched with great Remorse1622, Francis, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban [i.e. Francis Bacon], The Historie of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh, […], London: […] W[illiam] Stansby for Matthew Lownes, and William Barret...
  22. To strike; to manipulate; to play on.
    • to touch an instrument of music
    • [They] touched their golden harps.1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished...
  23. To perform, as a tune; to play.
    • A person in the royal retinue touched a light and lively air on the flageolet.1814 July 7, [Walter Scott], Waverley; or, ’Tis Sixty Years Since. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London...
  24. To influence by impulse; to impel forcibly.
    • No decree of mine,[…][to] touch with lightest moment of impulse his free will.1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished...

Noun

touch (countable and uncountable, plural touches)

  1. An act of touching, especially with the hand or finger.
    • Suddenly, in the crowd, I felt a touch at my shoulder.
  2. The faculty or sense of perception by physical contact.
    • With the lights out, she had to rely on touch to find her desk.
  3. The style or technique with which one plays a musical instrument.
    • He performed one of Ravel's piano concertos with a wonderfully light and playful touch.
  4. The particular or characteristic mode of action, or the resistance of the keys of an instrument to the fingers.
    • a heavy touch, or a light touch
  5. A distinguishing feature or characteristic.
    • Clever touches like this are what make her such a brilliant writer.
  6. A little bit; a small amount.
    • Move it left just a touch and it will be perfect.
    • I'd like to see a touch more enthusiasm in the project.
  7. The part of a sports field beyond the touchlines or goal-lines.
    • He got the ball, and kicked it straight out into touch.
  8. (uncountable) A relationship of close communication or understanding.
    • He promised to keep in touch while he was away.
    • lose touch
    Synonyms:
    connection, contact
  9. The ability to perform a task well; aptitude.
    • I used to be a great chess player but I've lost my touch.
    • Rovers' hopes of pulling off one of the great European shocks of all time lasted just 10 minutes before Spurs finally found their scoring touch.2011 September 29, Jon Smith, “Tottenham 3 - 1 Shamrock Rovers”, in BBC Sport
  10. (obsolete) Act or power of exciting emotion.
    • Not alone / The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches, / Do strongly speak to us.c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard...
  11. (obsolete) An emotion or affection.
    • a true, natural, and a sensible touch of mercy[1594], Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Iohn Windet, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page)
  12. (obsolete) Personal reference or application.
    • Speech of touch toward others should be sparingly used.1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Discourse”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC
Show 13 more meaningsShow fewer meanings
  1. A single stroke on a drawing or a picture.
    • Never give the least touch with your pencil till you have well examined your design.1695, John Dryden, The Art of Painting
  2. (obsolete) A brief essay.
    • 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
  3. (obsolete) A touchstone; hence, stone of the sort used for touchstone.
    • Now do I play the touch.c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and...
    • a neat new monument of touch and alabaster1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI)
  4. (obsolete) Examination or trial by some decisive standard; test; proof; tried quality.
    • equity, the true touch of all laws1609, Richard Carew, The Survey of Cornwall, London: […] S[imon] S[tafford] for Iohn Iaggard, […], →OCLC
    • friends of noble touchc. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...
  5. The broadest part of a plank worked top and but, or of one worked anchor-stock fashion (that is, tapered from the middle to both ends); also, the angles of the stern timbers at the counters.
    • Set off the exact Length forward and aftward from the Observation of the rising of the Keel, by Shipwrights called the Touch, or Place where the Keel's upper Part ends to be streight.1711, William Sutherland, The Ship-Builder's Assistant
  6. The children's game of tag.
    Synonyms:
    it, dobby, hit, tig, tiggy, tuggy, catch, chase, tick, tip
  7. (bell-ringing) A set of changes less than the total possible on seven bells, i.e. less than 5,040.
  8. (slang) An act of borrowing or stealing something; a request for money.
    • 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, 2nd edition, Edinburgh: James Ballantyne & Co, page 105
    • Supposedly Pickle has a line on a group of wealthy donors who were about to make a big drop on Chuy's campaign, now that he is in the runoff. I ask Pickle about the timing of this donation because Crawford and I are about to put the touch on the campaign for another five grand.2017, Mike Houlihan, Nothin's On The Square: 82 Days on the Mayoral Campaign
  9. (slang) The extent to which a person is interested or affected; the amount of outlay on something.
    • Such was Tim Whiffle on the Sunday, with the addition of a cane to indicate riding, it is true he had long had a penchant to a pair of spurs but did not as yet sport them, although a half crown touch at some livery stables was positively decided upon in his own mind, though hitherto the dread of a...1804, William Henry Ireland, The Woman of Feeling, volume 2, page 232
  10. (UK, dated) Tallow.
  11. Form; standard of performance.
    • 2019 In the mix: Who's pushing for selection for round seven? Australian Football League, 30 April 2019. Accessed 6 May 2019.
      Jackson Hately, Isaac Cumming and Nick Shipley have been in great touch in the NEAFL.
  12. (Australian rules football) A disposal of the ball during a game, i.e. a kick or a handball.
    • 2019 In the mix: Who's pushing for selection for round seven? Australian Football League, 30 April 2019. Accessed 6 May 2019.
      With just six touches, small forward Daniel Rioli was uncharacteristically quiet against Melbourne, although he did lay five tackles.
  13. (Australia) touch football (a variant of rugby league that does not involve tackling)

touch meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu

touch in Hindi

make physical contact with
छूना chūnā

touch in Tamil

make physical contact with
தொடு toṭu

touch in Marathi

touch, touching, contact
स्पर्श sparśa
to touch
शिवणे śivṇe

touch in Urdu

make physical contact with
چھونا chūnā
More languagesFewer languages
touch in Bengali
ধরা dhora, লাগা laga
touch in Telugu
స్పర్శ అంటుకొను sparśa aṇṭukonu, తాకు tāku, ముట్టుకొను muṭṭukonu, స్పర్శించు sparśiñcu
touch in Malayalam
സ്പർശിക്കുക spaṟśikkuka, തൊടുക toṭuka, സ്പർശനം spaṟśanaṁ, തൊടൽ toṭal
touch in Kannada
ಮುಟ್ಟು muṭṭu, ಒರಸು orasu
touch in Punjabi
ਛੂਹਣਾ chūhṇā, ਲੱਗਣਾ laggaṇā
touch in Gujarati
અડવું aḍavũ
touch in Odia
ଛୁଇଁବା chuĩbā, ସ୍ପର୍ଶ sparśa, ମାଡ଼ିବା māṛibā, ଲାଗିବା lāgibā
touch in Sanskrit
मृशति mṛśáti
touch in Assamese
চু su, ছু su
touch in Nepali
छुनु chunu
touch in Pashto
لمسول lamsawǝ́l, بلېسول blesawə́l
touch in Arabic
لَمَسَ lamasa, لَمْس lams, لَمْسَة lamsa, مُلَامَسَة mulāmasa
touch in Malay
menyentuh
touch in Indonesian
menyentuh, menyinggung, sentuh, tersentuh
touch in Persian
پرماسیدن parmâsidan, زدن zadan, لمس کردن lams kardan, لامسه lâmese
touch in Thai
แตะ dtɛ̀, สัมผัส sǎm-pàt, แตะต้อง dtɛ̀-dtɔ̂ng, จับ jàp
touch in Vietnamese
sờ, rờ, chạm, động
touch in Myanmar
ထိ hti., ဖေါဋ္ဌဗ္ဗာရုံ hpauthtabbarum

Examples of touch in a sentence

  • She touched her lips to the glass.
  • The stories did not seem to me to touch life.1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter I, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company...
  • And now it seemed he was engaged in something which touched them closely, but must be hidden from their knowledge.1919, Saki, ‘The Penance’, The Toys of Peace, Penguin 2000 (Complete Short Stories), page 423
  • Madam, I have a touch of your condition.c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, &...
  • In another example, there are a few touches of white above the eye, and a white postocular stripe, which becomes quite broad where it terminates on the side of the neck.1886, “The Masked Bob-white (Colinus ridgewayi) of Arizona, and its Allies”, in Joel Asaph Allen, editor, Bulletin of the American Museum...

All 40 example sentences with touch

Synonyms of touch

30 more synonymsFewer synonyms

All synonyms of touch

Forms of touch

Verb
third-person singular presenttouches
present participletouching
past participletouched
pasttouched
past participle (obsolete)toucht
past (obsolete)toucht
first-person singular past (archaic)toucht
second-person singular present (archaic)touchest
second-person singular past (archaic)touchedst
second-person singular past (archaic)toucht
third-person singular present (archaic)toucheth
third-person singular past (archaic)toucht
plural past (archaic)toucht
past subjunctive (archaic)toucht
past participle (archaic)toucht
Noun
pluraltouches

Past tense of touch: touched

Plural of touch: touches

Origin of touch

From Middle English touchen, tochen, from Old French tochier (“to touch”) (whence Modern French toucher; compare French doublet toquer (“to offend, bother, harass”)), from Vulgar Latin *tuccō (“to knock, strike, offend”), from Frankish *tukkōn (“to knock, strike, touch”), from Proto-Germanic *tukkōną (“to tug, grab, grasp”), from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to draw, pull, lead”). Largely displaced native Middle English rinen, from Old English hrīnan (whence Modern English rine). Doublet of tuck. Cognates Cognate with Old High German zochhōn, zuhhōn (“to grasp, take, seize, snatch”) (whence German zucken (“to jerk, flinch”)), German Low German tucken, tocken (“to fidget, twitch, pull up, entice, throb, knock, repeatedly tap”), Middle Dutch tocken, tucken (“to touch, entice”) (whence Dutch tokkelen (“to strum, pluck”)), Old English tucian, tūcian (“to disturb, mistreat”) (whence Modern English tuck). Compare also Old High German tokkōn, tockōn (“to abut, collide”). More at tuck. Via Proto-Indo-European *dewk- cognate with English tie, tow, tug, team, Latin dūcō, dux.

Words formed from touch

Phrases with touch

70 more phrasesFewer phrases

Words that rhyme with touch

1 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about touch

What does touch mean?
Touch means to make physical contact with; to bring the hand, finger or other part of the body into contact with.
What is touch in Hindi?
Touch in Hindi is छूना (chūnā). See Touch meaning in Hindi.
How do you use touch in a sentence?
She touched her lips to the glass.
What part of speech is touch?
Touch can be a verb or a noun.
How do you pronounce touch?
Touch is pronounced /tʌt͡ʃ/.
What is the past tense of touch?
The past tense of touch is touched.

Words near touch in the dictionary

  1. toucan crossings
  2. toucanet
  3. toucanets
  4. toucanlike
  5. toucans
  6. touch
  7. touch 'em all
  8. touch a chord
  9. touch a nerve
  10. touch a raw nerve
  11. touch and go

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: touch (page history and authors); शिवणे (Marathi) (page history and authors); ಒರಸು (Kannada) (page history and authors); ਛੂਹਣਾ (Punjabi) (page history and authors); ଛୁଇଁବା (Odia) (page history and authors); छुनु (Nepali) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-us-touch.ogg, LL-Q1860 (eng)-Back ache-touch.wav.

Cite this entry: “touch.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/touch. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.