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
Based, pretty bizarrely, on some light verse by T. S. Eliot, the original production, with its treacly pop-rock score, was set inside a junk yard full of touchy-feely showoffs in kitten ears, competing to reach the Heaviside Layer, a celestial MacGuffin.
—
Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2026
That’s in contrast with Andrew’s lexicon of touchy-feely claptrap, all seemingly declarations of support and empathy but, ultimately, hollow.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
Alonso wasn’t a touchy-feely boss.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Nearly a year after the duo went viral for their hilariously meme-able finger-holding moment, the Eternal Sunshine artist is addressing the fact that the costars have a very touchy-feely friendship.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Nov. 2025
In the clip, the pair appear very touchy-feely, with Nader touching Mortensen's chest multiple times throughout the video, and Mortensen playfully touching her hand and arm.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 2025
Excuse the cynicism, but this is the sort of combination of touchy-feely button-pushing and self-conscious peculiarity that’s meant to seem significant and profound that will bring out your inner rom-com Grinch.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2025
Looser, more touchy-feely styles include gentle parenting and freestyle parenting.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 19 Aug. 2025
The image of her cutting a snake in half with her shovel doesn’t conjure up a touchy-feely woman.
—Marc Berman
august 15, Literary Hub, 15 Aug. 2025
Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2026
That’s in contrast with Andrew’s lexicon of touchy-feely claptrap, all seemingly declarations of support and empathy but, ultimately, hollow.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
Alonso wasn’t a touchy-feely boss.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Nearly a year after the duo went viral for their hilariously meme-able finger-holding moment, the Eternal Sunshine artist is addressing the fact that the costars have a very touchy-feely friendship.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Nov. 2025
In the clip, the pair appear very touchy-feely, with Nader touching Mortensen's chest multiple times throughout the video, and Mortensen playfully touching her hand and arm.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 2025
Excuse the cynicism, but this is the sort of combination of touchy-feely button-pushing and self-conscious peculiarity that’s meant to seem significant and profound that will bring out your inner rom-com Grinch.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2025
Looser, more touchy-feely styles include gentle parenting and freestyle parenting.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 19 Aug. 2025
The image of her cutting a snake in half with her shovel doesn’t conjure up a touchy-feely woman.
—Marc Berman
august 15, Literary Hub, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touchy-feely
Adjective
-
Snitker grew emotional while thanking his friend and mentor in his speech.—
Gabriel Burns,
AJC.com,
26 Apr. 2026
-
His emotional reaction to the announcement of his name was caught on camera during the draft telecast.—
Steve Megargee,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The piece is affectionate, admiring, and shamelessly tilted in his favor.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Breed experts say goldendoodles are among the most social and affectionate dog breeds available.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Touchy-feely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touchy-feely. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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