touchy-feely
English
Pronunciation
Audio (AU) (file)
Adjective
touchy-feely (comparative more touchy-feely, superlative most touchy-feely)
- (informal) Having a fondness for physical contact with other people, especially to an excessive degree.
- My last boyfriend was a lovely guy, but I dumped him because he was too touchy-feely with me in public.
- 2015 February 23, “Oscars 2015: 10 things we learned”, in The Guardian (London):
- This time, the actor was in uncomfortably touchy-feely form. First he sidled up behind Scarlett Johansson as she posed on the red carpet, kissed her, and slid his hand around her waist.
- (idiomatic, usually derogatory) Driven by intuition or emotion, with a connotation of de-emphasis of rational thought or logic.
- He preferred the clarity of science and left the touchy-feely stuff to others.
- (idiomatic, usually derogatory) Appealing to emotion, sympathy, or romance.
- I think the movie had too much touchy-feely nonsense and not enough action.
Derived terms
- touchy-feeler
- touchy-feeliness