1
as in sensitive
easily offended
he's ticklish about his looks, so it's wisest to avoid the subject altogether
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
trying to tell him that his zipper is down without embarrassing him will be a ticklish task
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ticklish
In practice, the last of these—which sounds tame, and which refers to the number of people who will be affected by the act—is probably the most morally ticklish, as any secondhand smoker can confirm.
—
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
This is a ticklish subject, to be sure.
—Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2022
What keeps Sandy from jumping turns out to be one of Row’s cleverest, most ticklish plot devices.
—John Domini, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2023
These flip-flops just feel good — if your feet aren't ticklish, that is.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for ticklish
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
This is a ticklish subject, to be sure.
—Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2022
What keeps Sandy from jumping turns out to be one of Row’s cleverest, most ticklish plot devices.
—John Domini, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2023
These flip-flops just feel good — if your feet aren't ticklish, that is.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for ticklish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ticklish
Adjective
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The rise in interest rates and inflation could dampen the growth prospects of shale oil producers, particularly smaller companies that are highly sensitive to borrowing costs.—
Steven Dudash,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
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The business is also highly sensitive to energy prices and bitcoin price, two areas the president is able to influence through policy.—
Pete Gannon,
Axios,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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There are very big match-ups being played week in and week out in what is one of the most difficult leagues to play in on the planet, this means the big contenders will drop points more often than in some other leagues.—
Joseph O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
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Generations of design successors have insisted that pie charts are difficult to read and even amount to optical informatic illusions, but we are still stuck with them.—
Mara Mills,
Artforum,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Black audiences have so few representative characters on screen, and Black womanhood alone is so touchy.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Manual focus is responsive, too, if a little bit touchy.—
PCMAG,
PCMAG,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But the Lotus ladies will have some tough competition, including seven-time winner Allison Janney, two-time winner Patricia Arquette, and potential double nominee Kaitlyn Dever.—
Kristen Baldwin,
EW.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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That’s likely a tough pill to swallow for Gomez, who typically launches her albums at No. 1.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Strong winds also may have North Texans feeling more irritable, which scientists blame on there being too many positive ions in the air.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Mar. 2025
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Signs of overextension burnout include feeling emotionally drained, becoming irritable and struggling to focus—all of which can affect both your work and personal life.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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At least, that’s how a plurality of Americans perceive the tetchy state of our union.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
3 Apr. 2025
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Trading was tetchy at first, floating between flat and a 1.5 percent gain.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Back in 2021, the starlet opened up about those complicated early days following Angel’s birth.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
4 Apr. 2025
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President Donald Trump’s tariffs aim to bring jobs and factories back to the U.S., but the reality is more complicated.—
Bruce Gil,
Quartz,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Building a Sustainable Future Compression of organizational hierarchies isn't inherently problematic, but the failure to address the human and operational needs that middle managers traditionally meet certainly is.—
Tracy Lawrence,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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This is especially problematic if, in these precarious times, their contacts are all similar to them.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ticklish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ticklish. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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