touched

touch a (raw) nerve

To evoke a strong emotional reaction, such as anger, sadness, or disgust, upon being encountered, heard, read, etc. Your column must have touched a nerve, because we are getting slammed with feedback from readers—and they're not happy. I could tell he was touching a raw nerve when he brought up Jane's former employer and Jane went silent for a moment.See also: nerve, touch

touch base (with someone)

To contact someone to update them or receive an update from them. I was just calling to touch base since it's been a few weeks since we last spoke. Will you please touch base with the marketing team and find out how they're progressing?See also: base, touch

touch down

To land; to make contact with the ground. We couldn't touch down due to ice on the runway. The storm is expected to touch down sometime around 2 AM.See also: down, touch

touch off

1. To start a fire or detonate an explosive device. He touched off the firework just as the school assembly was about to begin. Don't smoke in here! You might touch off the dry hay.2. By extension, to trigger or initiate a reaction. A noun or pronoun can be used between "touch" and "off." Our teacher is so high-strung that the slightest provocation touches him off. The announcement touched off a riot in downtown Los Angeles.See also: off, touch

touch on (something)

To discuss or deal with some topic informally or in passing. We'll touch on that matter later in the meeting, so let's stay focused on the issue at hand. She touched on the problem, but she didn't get a chance to explain exactly what had happened. The movie touches on themes of loneliness and grief, but doesn't make them the central focus of the characters.See also: on, touch

touch up

1. verb To fix minor flaws in or make minor changes to something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "touch" and "up." I'd just like to touch up my makeup before we leave. All you need to do is touch the wall up with a bit of spackle and paint, and it will be as good as new!2. noun A minor change or fix. As a noun, the phrase is usually hyphenated. The cover is almost ready, it just needs a few touch-ups before we send it to the printer.See also: touch, up

be touched with (something)

1. To possess or contain some amount of something. Even though this novel is dated, it's still touched with some wisdom for today's world. Her directing style is definitely unorthodox, but I think she is touched with genius.2. To be struck with or affected by tender emotions, especially gratitude or sympathy, as a result of some gesture, act, or thing. I was really touched with all the students' farewell cards on my last day of teaching. We were all very touched with what you said at the funeral, Mike.See also: touched

touch (one) on the raw

To do or say something (such as mentioning a sensitive topic) that causes one to feel angry, agitated, or self-conscious; to touch a nerve. Primarily heard in UK. I accidentally touched Vanessa on the raw by mentioning her new haircut—apparently, she's really unhappy with it. Your column must have touched the mayor on the raw, because we've been served with a defamation lawsuit from his office. I could tell she was touching Jack on the raw when she brought up his former employer.See also: on, raw, touch

not touch a hair on (one's) head

To not hurt or injure someone in even the slightest degree. They had better not touch a hair on your head, or I'll go to the police!See also: hair, head, not, on, touch

touch (on) all (the) bases

To include, make reference to, or take action on every desired or required element or aspect (of something). The essay touches all bases, but it doesn't do much to elaborate on them or introduce any new insights. For fans of the genre, the film touches on all the bases.See also: all, bases, touch

touch (one's) forelock

To show excessive deference toward someone in a superior position. An allusion to the former act of pulling one's frontmost hair in lieu of having a hat to tip. I hate being in meetings with the CEO because then I have to witness all of the regional managers touching their forelocks like fawning sycophants.See also: forelock, touch

touch a chord (with someone)

To elicit or trigger a strong emotional response to something; to be very poignant. Thank you for speaking, your words really touched a chord with me. The film still touches a chord with younger audiences, even after all these years. In my opinion, nothing touches a chord quite the same way music does.See also: chord, touch

touch (rock) bottom

To reach the lowest or worst point of a decline. Primarily heard in UK. I knew I had touched rock bottom when I missed my son's birthday party because I was so hungover. That's when I knew I needed to get help. Prices have been falling for weeks during the crash, but the economy has finally touched bottom.See also: bottom, touch

be touched by (something)

To be struck with or affected by tender emotions, especially gratitude or sympathy, as a result of some gesture, act, or thing. I was really touched by all the students' farewell cards on my last day of teaching. We were all very touched by what you said at the funeral, Mike.See also: by, touched

touched by (something)

Struck with or affected by sober or tender emotions, especially gratitude or sympathy, as a result of some gesture, act, or thing. I felt touched by all the students' farewell cards on my last day of teaching. We were all very touched by what you said at the funeral, Mike.See also: by, touched

touched with (something)

Struck with or affected by sober or tender emotions, especially gratitude or sympathy, as a result of some gesture, act, or thing. I felt touched with all the students' farewell cards on my last day of teaching. We were all very touched with what you said at the funeral, Mike.See also: touched

touched in the head

Mentally deranged or unstable; somewhat crazy. Often used sarcastically or jocularly. Potentially offensive. The loss of his children and wife in the accident left him a bit touched in the head. People think I'm touched in the head because of the way my eyes deviate slightly outward. You're touched in the head if you think you'll get a loan with the bank for that much money.See also: head, touched

cut someone to the quick

and cut someone to the bone 1. Lit. to slice the flesh of someone or some animal clear through to the underlying layer of flesh or to the bone. With the very sharp knife, David cut the beast to the quick in one blow. He cut his finger to the quick with the sharp knife. 2. Fig. to injure someone emotionally. (See also something to the bone">cut something to the bone.) Your heartless comments cut me to the quick. Her remarks cut him to the bone.See also: cut, quick

touch down

[for an airplane] to come in contact with the ground; to land. Flight twelve is due to touch down at midnight. When will this plane touch down?See also: down, touch

touch someone or something off

Fig. to ignite or excite someone or something; to excite anger or chaos. She is very excitable. The slightest thing will touch her off. The appearance of the fox touched off a furor in the henhouse.See also: off, touch

touch something up

to fix up the minor flaws in something; to repair a paint job on something. It's only a little scratch in the finish. We can touch it up easily. Tom touched up the scrape with a little paint.See also: touch, up

touched by someone or something

Fig. emotionally affected or moved by someone or something. Sally was very nice to me. I was very touched by her. I was really touched by your kind letter.See also: by, touched

touched (in the head)

Rur. crazy. Sometimes Bob acts like he's touched in the head. In fact, I thought he was touched.

cut to the quick

Deeply wound or distress, as in His criticism cut her to the quick. This phrase uses the quick in the sense of a vital or a very sensitive part of the body, such as under the fingernails. It also appeared in such older locutions as touched to the quick, for "deeply affected," and stung to the quick, for "wounded, distressed," both dating from the early 1500s. The current expression was considered a cliché from about 1850 on. See also: cut, quick

touch down

Land on the ground, as in The spacecraft touched down on schedule. This idiom was first recorded in 1935. See also: down, touch

touched by, be

Also, be touched with. Be affected by some emotion, especially a tender feeling like gratitude, pity, or sympathy. For example, She was very touched by his concern for her welfare. This idiom alludes to touching or reaching one's heart, the seat of emotions. [First half of 1300s] See also: touched

touched in the head

Also, touched. A little bit crazy, somewhat deranged, as in I think the war left him a little touched in the head. [Late 1800s] See also: head, touched

touch off

1. Cause to explode or fire; also, initiate, trigger. For example, The boys touched off a whole line of firecrackers, or These disclosures will touch off a public uproar. This idiom comes from early firearms, which were set off by putting a light to the touch-hole. Its figurative use dates from the late 1800s. 2. Depict very precisely, as in He touched off Teddy Roosevelt as well as it's ever been done. [Mid-1700s] See also: off, touch

touch up

Make minor changes or improvements, as in This wall needs some touching up but not complete repainting. [Early 1700s] See also: touch, up

be touched with something

have a small amount of a particular quality: His hair was touched with grey. ♢ Some of her poems are touched with real genius.See also: something, touched

touch down

v. To make contact with the ground; land: The tornado touched down in a remote area.See also: down, touch

touch off

v.1. To cause something to explode or rapidly ignite: The spark touched off the puddle of fuel. A cigarette from a passing motorist touched the dry grass off and started a forest fire.2. To trigger something; initiate something: Investigators wondered what could have touched the fire off. The news of the scandal touched off a public uproar.See also: off, touch

touch up

v. To improve something by making minor corrections, changes, or additions: I touched up the nicks in the paint to prevent the metal from rusting. The author touched an old essay up and submitted it for publication.See also: touch, up

touched

1. mod. flattered; honored. (Standard English.) We were both touched by your thoughtfulness. 2. mod. alcohol intoxicated. She was acting a little touched, but we didn’t smell anything on her breath.

cut to the quick

To be deeply wounded; to have one’s feelings hurt. The noun “quick” means the living, as well as the most vital and important part; today it also means the very sensitive flesh between the fingernails and skin. To be touched to the quick, meaning to be deeply affected, has been used since the sixteenth century; it appears in John Heywood’s Proverbs and in several places in Shakespeare’s plays (Hamlet, The Comedy of Errors, and others). Another version is stung to the quick, as in “The last appellation stung her to the quick” (Henry Fielding, Joseph Andrews, 1742). “Cut to the quick” is a still later wording and has been a cliché since about 1850. See also quick and the dead. See also: cut, quick

touched

touched

touched

touched

touched

touched

touched

touched

touch a (raw) nerve

touch base (with someone)

touch down

touch off

touch on (something)

touch up

be touched with (something)

touch (one) on the raw

not touch a hair on (one's) head

touch (on) all (the) bases

touch (one's) forelock

touch a chord (with someone)

touch (rock) bottom

be touched by (something)

touched by (something)

touched with (something)

touched in the head

cut someone to the quick

touch down

touch someone or something off

touch something up

touched by someone or something

touched (in the head)

cut to the quick

touch down

touched by, be

touched in the head

touch off

touch up

be touched with something

touch down

touch off

touch up

touched

cut to the quick

touched

Synonyms for touched

adj moved

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adj mad

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Synonyms for touched

adj afflicted with or exhibiting irrationality and mental unsoundness

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Synonyms for touched

adj having come into contact

Antonyms

adj being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion

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Related Words

adj slightly insane

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Related Words