untouched
gb/ʌntˈʌt͡ʃt/ us/ʌntˈʌt͡ʃt/
B1
English
~ 8600
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
not changed, used, or influenced
still in its first state, not changed or affected by anything
Usage pattern:
[something] remains untouched
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "untouched" with "unavailable" or "unused". "Untouched" means nothing has changed or affected it; it can still be available or in use. For example, a rule can be "untouched" (not changed) but still used every day.
Synonyms
unchanged (Focuses on not being different from before, without the nuance of purity or newness.)
|
pristine (Suggests being very clean or perfectly original, often with a positive tone.)
Antonyms
altered (Emphasizes that something has been changed from its original state.)
Collocations
remain untouched
|largely untouched
|virtually untouched
|relatively untouched
|untouched wilderness
|untouched by time
Themes
change
|time
|nature
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Much of the coastline remains untouched by development.
- The report was left untouched on his desk for weeks.
- Her idea stayed untouched in the document, even after many revisions.
- The island is one of the few places still largely untouched by modern tourism.
- The archive holds untouched boxes of letters from the 19th century.
Learner examples
- This village is still untouched by modern life.
- Most of the forest is untouched and very quiet.
- The plan stayed untouched after the meeting.
- That room has been untouched since they moved out.
- The old rules are untouched in the new book.
adjective
B1
property
2
not eaten, used, or handled
not eaten, drunk, or used at all
Usage pattern:
[food or item] is left untouched
Common mistake:
Learners may use "untouched" only for physical contact ("no one touched it"), but in this sense it often implies something was not eaten, drunk, or used when it normally would be, especially with food and money.
Synonyms
unused (General word for not used; does not suggest disappointment or surprise the way "untouched" sometimes does.)
|
uneaten (Specific to food; cannot be used for money or objects.)
Antonyms
consumed (Focuses on something being eaten, drunk, or used up.)
Collocations
leave food untouched
|plate untouched
|drink untouched
|money untouched
|untouched meal
|untouched savings
Themes
food
|daily_life
|money
|food_drink
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Her dinner sat untouched while she answered emails.
- The wine remained untouched at the end of the party.
- He left the cash in the drawer untouched for years.
- Most of the snacks were untouched after the meeting.
- The old tools were untouched in the shed, covered in dust.
Learner examples
- My coffee is still untouched.
- He left his plate untouched on the table.
- The money in that account is untouched.
- The cake stayed untouched because no one was hungry.
- Her lunchbox was untouched when she came home.
adjective
B2
property
3
not damaged or harmed at all
not hurt or damaged, even when other things were
Usage pattern:
[something] is left untouched by [event]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use only "safe" instead of "untouched". "Safe" means not in danger; "untouched" focuses on the fact that there is no damage at all, often in contrast with damage around it.
Synonyms
unharmed (Often used for people or animals, but can also be used for objects.)
|
undamaged (More technical or formal; focuses strictly on physical damage.)
Antonyms
damaged (Stresses that something has been physically harmed or broken.)
Collocations
left untouched by the fire
|buildings untouched
|property untouched
|remained untouched by the storm
|landscape untouched by war
|car untouched in the accident
Themes
disasters
|safety
|news
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Several houses were destroyed, but the school was left untouched by the floods.
- Remarkably, the paintings were untouched after the robbery.
- The historic bridge remained untouched during the bombing.
- The village was almost untouched by the earthquake.
- Fire swept through the forest, but a small area in the center was untouched.
Learner examples
- The city center was untouched by the storm.
- Their car was untouched in the accident.
- Most of the village was untouched by the fire.
- The old church stayed untouched during the war.
- Our house was untouched, but our neighbors lost theirs.
adjective
C1
property
4
not emotionally affected or moved
not feeling any change in emotion because of something
Usage pattern:
[someone] is untouched by [emotion or event]
Common mistake:
Learners may think "untouched" always refers to physical contact. In this sense, it describes your feelings: if you are "untouched by" something, your emotions do not change because of it.
Synonyms
unmoved (Often used about not feeling strong emotion, especially in reaction to something meant to be touching or persuasive.)
|
unaffected (Can be broader, but in emotional contexts it means feelings do not change.)
Antonyms
deeply affected (Emphasizes strong emotional impact from an event or experience.)
Collocations
seem untouched by
|remain untouched by
|emotionally untouched
|untouched by the tragedy
|untouched by criticism
|untouched by fear
Themes
emotions
|personality
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He seemed untouched by the criticism and carried on as usual.
- She appeared untouched by the loss, at least on the surface.
- The children were largely untouched by the tension between their parents.
- Despite the sad news, he remained strangely untouched.
- Her calm voice was untouched by anger or fear.
Learner examples
- He was untouched by her kind words.
- She stayed untouched by the bad news.
- The boy was untouched by the other kids' jokes.
- They were untouched by the fear around them.
- His face was untouched by any emotion.
adjective
literary
C1
property
5
sexually inexperienced or virgin
not having had sex with anyone
Usage pattern:
[someone] is still untouched
Common mistake:
Learners may mistakenly use this sense in everyday contexts where it sounds odd or old-fashioned. In modern speech, people usually say "virgin" or "has never had sex"; "untouched" in this way is mostly literary or poetic.
Synonyms
virginal (Literary or delicate; strongly associated with sexual innocence, especially for women.)
|
chaste (Emphasizes choosing not to have sex, often for moral or religious reasons.)
Antonyms
sexually experienced (Describes someone who has had sexual relationships.)
Collocations
a young untouched girl
|an untouched body
|remain untouched
|still untouched
|spiritually and physically untouched
|innocent and untouched
Themes
relationships
|sex
|literature
|health
Examples
- In the novel, she is described as young, untouched, and full of hope.
- The poem speaks of an untouched body waiting for its first embrace.
- He imagined her life as still untouched by love or desire.
- The story contrasts an untouched innocence with a corrupt world.
- They valued her as an untouched symbol of purity.
Learner examples
- The character in the book is still untouched.
- The writer talks about her untouched body.
- He is shy and untouched by any past love.
- In the story, her heart is untouched by romance.
- The movie shows an untouched young woman in a strict family.
Grammar
Dictionary form
untouched
IPA
GB/ʌntˈʌt͡ʃt/
US/ʌntˈʌt͡ʃt/
Syllables & stress
un - touched (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (touched)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: untouched
Word family
Core family
touch
verb A2
Related words
touching
adjective
touchy
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
untouchable
adjective
touchless
adjective
Advanced or less common
retouch
verb
Expressions
largely untouched
1/lˈɑɹd͡ʒli ʌntˈʌt͡ʃt/
fixed phrase
mostly not changed or affected
almost completely not changed or affected, with only small changes if any
Examples
- The town is still largely untouched by tourism.
- Her draft was largely untouched after the editor's review.
- The countryside remains largely untouched despite new roads.
leave untouched
1/lˈiv ʌntˈʌt͡ʃt/
fixed phrase
deliberately not change or use
to choose not to change, use, or affect something
Examples
- Please leave this paragraph untouched when you edit the report.
- He left his savings untouched until he retired.
- They decided to leave the old law untouched for now.
remain untouched
1/ɹɪmˈeɪn ʌntˈʌt͡ʃt/
fixed phrase
continue unchanged or unaffected
to stay the same and not be changed or affected by anything
Examples
- Most of the national park has remained untouched for centuries.
- Despite the scandal, his public image remained untouched.
- The agreement will remain untouched until next year.
untouched by
1/ʌntˈʌt͡ʃt bˈaɪ/
fixed phrase
not affected by something specified
not changed, harmed, or influenced by a particular thing
Examples
- The island is untouched by mass tourism.
- She seemed untouched by the chaos around her.
- This region was largely untouched by the economic crisis.
virtually untouched
1/vˈɚt͡ʃuli ʌntˈʌt͡ʃt/
fixed phrase
almost completely unchanged or unaffected
changed or affected so little that it is almost the same as before
Examples
- The village has remained virtually untouched since the 1950s.
- His proposal came back from the committee virtually untouched.
- The island is virtually untouched, with no hotels or roads.