touch 1 of 2

verb

ˈtəch How to pronounce touch (audio)
Definition of touchnext
1
as in to feel
to come into bodily contact with (something) so as to perceive a slight pressure on the skin be careful not to touch this pan—it's still hot

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2
as in to influence
to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response your speech on the true meaning of patriotism touched me deeply

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to taint
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable unfortunately, his insufferable arrogance tends to touch even the good deeds that he does

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to join
to be adjacent to our property touches theirs right where that big elm tree is

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5
as in to affect
to be the business or affair of I don't think this decision touches you, so butt out

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touch

2 of 2

noun

1
as in contact
the state or fact of being able to exchange information regarding one's current situation everyone promised to keep in touch over the summer

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2
as in splash
a very small amount added just a touch of parsley to the dish

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in feature
something that sets apart an individual from others of the same kind each designer has his or her own personal touches

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4
as in hint
an almost imperceptible sign of something a touch of irritation tinged his voice as the candidate fielded yet another question about his personal finances

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb touch differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of touch are affect, impress, influence, strike, and sway. While all these words mean "to produce or have an effect upon," touch may carry a vivid suggestion of close contact and may connote stirring, arousing, or harming.

plants touched by frost
his emotions were touched by her distress

When can affect be used instead of touch?

The words affect and touch are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, affect implies the action of a stimulus that can produce a response or reaction.

the sight affected her to tears

Where would impress be a reasonable alternative to touch?

The meanings of impress and touch largely overlap; however, impress stresses the depth and persistence of the effect.

only one of the plans impressed him

When could influence be used to replace touch?

The synonyms influence and touch are sometimes interchangeable, but influence implies a force that brings about a change (as in nature or behavior).

our beliefs are influenced by our upbringing

When is strike a more appropriate choice than touch?

While in some cases nearly identical to touch, strike, similar to but weaker than impress, may convey the notion of sudden sharp perception or appreciation.

struck by the solemnity of the occasion

When is it sensible to use sway instead of touch?

Although the words sway and touch have much in common, sway implies the acting of influences that are not resisted or are irresistible, with resulting change in character or course of action.

politicians who are swayed by popular opinion

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of touch
Verb
According to a statement by researchers, the robot’s controller uses information such as body orientation, joint angles, and whether each leg is touching the ground. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026 Experts advise the public to admire them from a distance and not touch them, like with any wildlife. — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
Monogrammed towels, bathrobes and slippers featuring the hotel’s initials, and mineral water in cut glass decanters lend additional touches of luxury. — Eddi Fiegel, Robb Report, 3 Sep. 2026 Let the cobbler cool until the side of the baking dish is just warm to the touch. — ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for touch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touch
  1. feel
  2. influence
  3. taint
  4. join
  5. affect
  6. contact
  7. splash
  8. feature
Verb
  • Still, there’s something about going back to basics at the dawn of a new season that feels especially right.
    — Laura Jackson, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The Bengals cut the roster down to 53 players on Sunday and there weren’t many surprises in a year where continuity and depth made only a few spots truly feel open to unseating the placeholder.
    — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of feel
Verb
  • Physical activity, blood pressure, hearing loss, smoking, social isolation, sleep, nutrition, stress management and recovery can all influence our long-term health.
    — Mick Safron, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • In the 19th century, flamenco dancers began using the abanico as an expressive prop, as Cuban song and dance styles such as the guajira influenced the dance form.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of influence
Verb
  • But Reese and her Dream teammates tainted the historic night during the final 20 seconds.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • In July, the US was hit with a wave of explosive diarrhea caused by an outbreak of cyclospora, a parasite that spreads through food and water tainted with human feces.
    — Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of taint
Verb
  • Martin, 22, joined the Pride ahead of the 2026 season after signing her first professional contract with the club in January following a standout collegiate career at Georgetown University.
    — Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Volunteers rush to save livestock and help Ranchers For the past 48 hours, Garrett Duvall and the Rancher's Navy have been moving through the burn zone, joining dozens of volunteers and crews trying to save livestock and help ranchers recover.
    — Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of join
Verb
  • The instruments can move with greater flexibility than the human hand, while the system filters out natural hand tremors that could affect delicate movements.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The gesture continues a pattern for Swift, who has a long history of quietly funding GoFundMe campaigns for fans and strangers facing medical emergencies, including past donations to families affected by natural disasters and accidents.
    — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of affect
Noun
  • There had also been contact with Crystal Palace over a potential deal for Ismaila Sarr.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The families of Guillen and Greer-Wilkinson said the park offered them food on the night of the injury, but have not been in contact since.
    — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of contact
Noun
  • This was far from Towns’ first public splash in the sports card space.
    — Larry Holder, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The splash screen that appears when loading up Orbitals, showing Shapefarm and publisher Kepler Interactive’s logos, is soaked in retro-futuristic bright neon like Apple’s back in the 80s.
    — George Yang, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of splash
Noun
  • The Grand Highlander has the roomiest third row of the three family SUVs and the Telluride is the best in terms of cabin quality, standard tech and features.
    — Charles Singh, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Since this is an Android Drop rather than a Pixel Drop, these features are coming to a wider range of devices.
    — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of feature

Phrases Containing touch

Browse Nearby Words

tot (up)
touch
touchable
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Cite this Entry

“Touch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touch. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on touch

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about touch

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