Meaning of touch In English

• 0 to put your hand or another part of your body lightly onto and off something or someone:

  • That paint is wet - don't touch (it).

  • He touched the girl on the arm to get her attention.

  • The boy touched the worm with (= using, in his hand) a twig.

  • figurative The setting sun touched the trees with red (= made them appear red for a short time).

• 1 (of two or more things) to be so close together that there is no space between; to be in contact:

  • He fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.

  • She pushed the two bookcases together until they touched/were touching.

• 2 to harm someone, or use or damage something:

  • Please don't touch any of my stuff while I'm away.

• 3 (usually used in negative sentences) to eat or drink something:

  • They didn't touch any of the food we left for them.

  • Honestly, I haven't touched a drop (= drunk any alcohol) all night.

• 4 to influence someone or something emotionally, or cause feelings of sympathy in someone:

  • Tragedy touched their lives when their son was 16.

  • The TV report about the children's work for charity touched thousands of people's hearts.

• 5 (usually used in negative sentences) to have or reach the same standard (= level of quality) as someone or something:

  • Her novels can't touch (= are not as good as) those of her sister.

  • There's no one to touch him as an illustrator of children's books.

• 6 a small amount:

  • "Would you like milk?" "Just a touch."

  • There was a touch of irony/humour in her voice.

  • I had a touch of flu/hay fever.

  • The speech had several comic touches.

  • Using a sailing ship as the company logo was a touch of genius (= a good/clever idea or action).

  • The flowers on the table provided the finishing touch.

  • The weather has turned a touch too cold for my liking.

• 7 the ability to know what something is like by feeling it with the fingers:

  • the sense of touch

  • I found the right coin in the dark by touch.

  • The material was soft to the touch.

• 8 a quick, light movement of one thing, especially a hand, onto and off another thing:

  • I felt a cold touch on my arm.

  • At a/the touch of a button, the door opened.

• 9 to communicate or continue to communicate with someone by using a phone or writing to them:

  • Are you still in touch with any of your old school friends?

  • Jen and I never kept in touch after college.

  • We're in close touch with our office in Spain.

  • We lost touch over the years.

• 10 an ability to do things in the stated, especially positive, way:

  • He has a deft touch with tricky painting jobs.

  • She gave the job her own special/magic/professional/personal touch.

  • I admire her lightness/sureness of touch as a cook.

  • He used to be a good writer but I think he's losing his touch.

• 11 in sports such as football, a player's ability to control the ball and make it do what they want, or an occasion when a player controls the ball with their foot:

  • Nicolas Anelka squandered the chance to score when his touch let him down in front of goal.

  • Hazard took several touches before crossing.

• 12 the area outside either of the long edges of the space on which football and rugby are played:

  • Playing for safety, he kicked the ball into touch.

• 13 If you are in touch/out of touch with a subject, activity, or situation, your knowledge about it is recent/not recent:

  • He's not really in touch with what young people are interested in.

  • I didn't see any news all the time I was on holiday, so I'm completely out of touch.

• 14 to put the fingers or hand lightly on or against something:

  • [ I ] That paint is wet, so don’t touch.

  • [ T ] She can’t touch the money from her father until she’s 21.

  • [ T ] I never touch candy.

• 15 to be so close together that there is no space between:

  • [ T ] Don’t let the back of the chair touch the wall.

  • [ I ] Push the bookcases together until they touch.

  • [ T ] Her cooking can’t touch her sister’s.

• 16 to cause someone to feel sympathetic or grateful:

  • Your kindness has touched my family.

• 17 a skill or special quality:

  • He seems to be losing his touch at poker.

  • The flowers were a nice touch.

• 18 a small amount:

  • There was a touch of regret in her voice.

  • I had a touch of flu yesterday.

• 19 the state of being close together or in contact with someone or something

• 20 the ability to know what something is like by putting your hand or fingers on it:

  • [ U ] This cloth is soft to the touch.

  • [ C ] At a touch of the button, the door opened.

• 21 to put your fingers or hand lightly on the surface of something:

  • Don't touch the machine when it's in use.

• 22 used to say that someone or something is the best of a particular kind:

  • As a hard worker, no one can touch him.

  • This computer is so powerful, no other laptop can touch it.

• 23 to talk with someone for a short time:

  • He wants to touch base on some of the significant items that we've been dealing with.

• 24 a small addition or detail which makes something better:

  • Adding music to your presentation was a nice touch.

  • I am just putting the finishing touches to my monthly report.

• 25 communicating or continuing to communicate with someone by phone, email, etc.:

  • get/keep/stay in touch (with sb) We need to get in touch with our suppliers right away.

  • Let's keep in touch over the next few days while the installation is in progress.

  • in touch with sth It's very important to stay in touch with the practices of other employers in the city.