Synonyms

touchy-feely

American

[tuhch-ee-fee-lee] / ˈtʌtʃ iˈfi li /

adjective

Informal. emphasizing or marked by emotional openness and enthusiastic physicality.

a touchy-feely encounter group.

touchy-feely British

/ ˈtʌtʃɪˈfiːlɪ /

adjective

informal openly displaying one's emotions and affections

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

touchy-feeliness noun

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

To create a profitable drug, you need the treatment to be as simple and scalable as possible—none of this touchy-feely stuff.

From Slate • Jan. 30, 2026

Aside from its touchy-feely tone, “Whispers” is a fascinating romp around the world to more than 50 exotic and ordinary places featuring stone.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

It's got the touchy-feely, we're-not-uptight family atmosphere, full of playful laughs and children clambering over their parents.

From BBC • Dec. 22, 2025

On Monday’s episode of “The Drew Barrymore Show” the host addressed the internet fodder regarding her touchy-feely persona with a gimmick involving duct tape and the Secret Service.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2023

Ask a simple question, get a load of touchy-feely psychobabble in return.

From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023