as in emotional
showing feeling freely
she is too touchy-feely and he is too stiff-upper-lip for their relationship to ever work out
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Recent Examples of touchy-feely
Some people just aren’t touchy-feely — and that’s their prerogative.
—
Catherine Pearson, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Bringing more manufacturing back to US shores, including the iPhone assembly work that Trump seems so keen on would surely require greater use of robots—especially systems with the touchy-feely skills needed to manipulate small, intricate components.
—Will Knight, Wired News, 7 May 2025
Valerie Bertinelli is standing up for Drew Barrymore and her naturally touchy-feely personality.
—EW.com, 31 Jan. 2025
Drew Barrymore admitted that she has been warned about her notorious touchy-feely interview style.
—Ashley Hume, Fox News, 11 Dec. 2024
Collaboration gets pegged as: a waste of time (pulls people away from focused, individual work)
a way to get slow people up to speed at the expense of fast people
fluffy and touchy-feely
The brain science tells a different story.
—Kevin Kruse, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
So, naturally, when one of Jacob’s students becomes patient zero of a ringworm outbreak at Abbott, the touchy-feely bubble of the early stage of Gregory’s relationship with Janine quickly bursts, becoming their first real speed bump since going public.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2024
At first glance, this is the kind of touchy-feely corporate propaganda that exists to convince employees the company cares about them and assure clients of its human touch.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 2 Aug. 2024
But don’t be fooled by the introspective, touchy-feely Trump.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 21 July 2024
Catherine Pearson, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Bringing more manufacturing back to US shores, including the iPhone assembly work that Trump seems so keen on would surely require greater use of robots—especially systems with the touchy-feely skills needed to manipulate small, intricate components.
—Will Knight, Wired News, 7 May 2025
Valerie Bertinelli is standing up for Drew Barrymore and her naturally touchy-feely personality.
—EW.com, 31 Jan. 2025
Drew Barrymore admitted that she has been warned about her notorious touchy-feely interview style.
—Ashley Hume, Fox News, 11 Dec. 2024
Collaboration gets pegged as: a waste of time (pulls people away from focused, individual work)
a way to get slow people up to speed at the expense of fast people
fluffy and touchy-feely
The brain science tells a different story.
—Kevin Kruse, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
So, naturally, when one of Jacob’s students becomes patient zero of a ringworm outbreak at Abbott, the touchy-feely bubble of the early stage of Gregory’s relationship with Janine quickly bursts, becoming their first real speed bump since going public.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2024
At first glance, this is the kind of touchy-feely corporate propaganda that exists to convince employees the company cares about them and assure clients of its human touch.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 2 Aug. 2024
But don’t be fooled by the introspective, touchy-feely Trump.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 21 July 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touchy-feely
Adjective
-
What To Know Dixon, who has lived in the U.S. for 50 years after arriving from the Philippines at age 14, was emotional following her release.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
-
Doyle, dressed in a black suit, looked emotional as he was brought into the courtroom from his cell, according to a PA Media reporter following proceedings.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
While a hard, unblinking stare with stiff posture can signal aggression or resource guarding—especially over treats or toys—gentle, affectionate staring often expresses love.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 May 2025
-
Italian photographer Nicola Fioravanti was the overall winner in the professional division for his affectionate look at Morocco, his partner's birthplace.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Touchy-feely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touchy-feely. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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