touch
Make physical contact
To put your hand or another part of your body on something.
to touch [something/someone]
- 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.
- Do not touch the hot pan.
- I touched the soft blanket.
- She touched my shoulder.
- He touched the ball with his foot.
Act of physical contact
The action of putting your hand or another part of your body on something.
- 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.
- 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.
Affect emotionally
To make someone feel strong emotions like sadness or kindness.
to touch [someone] [emotionally]
- Her story touched everyone in the audience.
- I was deeply touched by his kindness.
- That movie really touched me.
- Her song touched me.
- I was touched by his gift.
- The film touched many people.
Small detail or feature
A small change that makes something better or more complete.
- 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.
- The flowers are a nice touch.
- He gave the room a personal touch.
- This is the finishing touch for the cake.
Reach a limit or level
To get to a number, level, or point but not go past it.
to touch [a number/level]
- Temperatures will touch 40°C this weekend.
- His earnings touched $1 million last year.
- The runner touched world-record pace during the race.
- The price will touch $10 tomorrow.
- The car can touch 200 km/h.
- Her score touched 100 points.
- Base: touch
- Plural: touch, touches
- Base: touch
- 3rd Person Singular: touches
- Present Participle: touching
- Past: touched
get in touch (with)
1Initiate communication with someone
To contact someone, usually for a reason.
- I'll get in touch with you tomorrow about the meeting.
- She got in touch with an old friend.
in touch
1Maintain communication with someone
To communicate with someone regularly.
- We keep in touch by email.
- Let's stay in touch after graduation.
out of touch
1Lack communication or awareness
To not communicate with someone, or to not know what is happening in a situation.
- He's been out of touch since he moved abroad.
- She's out of touch with current fashion trends.
out of touch
3not connected with current reality
Not understanding what people think or need now.
- 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
1Briefly make contact to update/discuss
To talk to someone quickly to share information or make plans.
- Let's touch base next week about the project.
- I just wanted to touch base and see how you're doing.
lose touch (with)
1Stop being in contact with someone
To not talk to or meet someone anymore over time.
- I lost touch with my college friends.
- They lost touch after moving to different cities.
lose touch (with)
2Stop communicating over time
To not talk to someone anymore after some time passes.
- I lost touch with my college roommate after we graduated.
- They lost touch years ago but recently reconnected.