touch
gb/tˈʌt͡ʃ/ us/tˈʌt͡ʃ/
A2
English
~ 1700
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
Make physical contact
To put your hand or another part of your body on something.
Usage pattern:
to touch [something/someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'touch' with 'feel'. 'Feel' can mean to experience through touch or emotions, while 'touch' is the act of making contact.
Synonyms
contact (More formal and often used in technical or official contexts)
Antonyms
avoid (Means to keep away from touching or being near something)
Collocations
touch screen
|touch gently
|touch briefly
|touch surface
|touch button
Themes
daily life
|body
|senses
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Please do not touch the paintings in the gallery.
- She touched his arm to get his attention.
- The cat touched its nose to mine in greeting.
- He touched the wall to feel how cold it was.
Learner examples
- Do not touch the hot pan.
- I touched the soft blanket.
- She touched my shoulder.
- He touched the ball with his foot.
Noun
A2
action
2
Act of physical contact
The action of putting your hand or another part of your body on something.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'touch' as a noun with 'touch' as a verb; context usually makes it clear.
Synonyms
contact (More formal and can refer to any kind of meeting or physical connection)
Antonyms
distance (Refers to being far apart and not touching)
Collocations
gentle touch
|final touch
|human touch
|light touch
Themes
daily life
|body
|senses
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Her hand gave a gentle touch on my back.
- The room needed just a few final touches before it was ready.
- He missed the ball by a touch.
- I felt a light touch on my shoulder.
Learner examples
- I felt her touch on my arm.
- He gave the cake a final touch.
- The dog woke up at my touch.
- She added a nice touch to the room.
Verb
B1
action
3
Affect emotionally
To make someone feel strong emotions like sadness or kindness.
Usage pattern:
to touch [someone] [emotionally]
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse this sense with physical touch; adding 'emotionally' can help clarify in some contexts.
Synonyms
move (Commonly used for causing emotions, often broader than 'touch')
Antonyms
offend (Causes negative emotions instead of warm or sympathetic ones)
Collocations
deeply touched
|emotionally touched
|touch someone's heart
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Her story touched everyone in the audience.
- I was deeply touched by his kindness.
- That movie really touched me.
Learner examples
- Her song touched me.
- I was touched by his gift.
- The film touched many people.
Noun
B1
entity
4
Small detail or feature
A small change that makes something better or more complete.
Synonyms
detail (A neutral term for a small part of something; 'touch' often implies improvement)
Antonyms
flaw (An imperfection that reduces quality)
Collocations
finishing touch
|personal touch
|nice touch
Themes
art
|design
|daily life
|daily_life
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Fresh flowers added a nice touch to the room.
- The chef's special sauce was the perfect finishing touch.
- Her handwritten note gave a personal touch to the package.
Learner examples
- The flowers are a nice touch.
- He gave the room a personal touch.
- This is the finishing touch for the cake.
Verb
B2
action
5
Reach a limit or level
To get to a number, level, or point but not go past it.
Usage pattern:
to touch [a number/level]
Synonyms
reach ('Reach' is more general; 'touch' suggests barely attaining)
Antonyms
fall short of (Failing to reach a certain level)
Collocations
touch a record high
|touch speed of
Themes
measurement
|sports
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Temperatures will touch 40°C this weekend.
- His earnings touched $1 million last year.
- The runner touched world-record pace during the race.
Learner examples
- The price will touch $10 tomorrow.
- The car can touch 200 km/h.
- Her score touched 100 points.
Grammar
Dictionary form
touch
IPA
GB/tˈʌt͡ʃ/
US/tˈʌt͡ʃ/
Syllables & stress
touch (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (touch)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: touch
- Plural: touch, touches
Verb
- Base: touch
- 3rd Person Singular: touches
- Present Participle: touching
- Past: touched
Word family
Forms
touches
noun
touching
verb
touched
verb
Related words
touchy
adjective
touchable
adjective
retouch
verb
Negative and opposite forms
Advanced or less common
touchingly
adverb
Expressions
get in touch (with)
1/ɡˈɛt ˈɪn tˈʌt͡ʃ wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
Initiate communication with someone
To contact someone, usually for a reason.
Examples
- I'll get in touch with you tomorrow about the meeting.
- She got in touch with an old friend.
in touch
1/ˈɪn tˈʌt͡ʃ/
fixed phrase
Maintain communication with someone
To communicate with someone regularly.
Examples
- We keep in touch by email.
- Let's stay in touch after graduation.
out of touch
1/ˈaʊt əv tˈʌt͡ʃ/
fixed phrase
Lack communication or awareness
To not communicate with someone, or to not know what is happening in a situation.
Examples
- He's been out of touch since he moved abroad.
- She's out of touch with current fashion trends.
out of touch
3/ˈaʊt əv tˈʌt͡ʃ/
fixed phrase
not connected with current reality
Not understanding what people think or need now.
Examples
- Many voters think the minister is out of touch with ordinary families.
- The brand lost younger customers because it became out of touch.
- He sounded out of touch when he complained that online banking was just a trend.
touch base
1/tˈʌt͡ʃ bˈeɪs/
idiom
informal
Briefly make contact to update/discuss
To talk to someone quickly to share information or make plans.
Examples
- Let's touch base next week about the project.
- I just wanted to touch base and see how you're doing.
lose touch (with)
1/lˈuz tˈʌt͡ʃ wˈɪθ/
idiom
Stop being in contact with someone
To not talk to or meet someone anymore over time.
Examples
- I lost touch with my college friends.
- They lost touch after moving to different cities.
lose touch (with)
2/lˈuz tˈʌt͡ʃ wˈɪθ/
idiom
Stop communicating over time
To not talk to someone anymore after some time passes.
Examples
- I lost touch with my college roommate after we graduated.
- They lost touch years ago but recently reconnected.