Touch: meaning, definitions and examples

Used when referring to physical contact or lightly connecting with something. It can also be metaphorical, dealing with emotions or influence.

• She reached out to touch the soft fabric.
• His words really touched her heart.

Typically used when referring to communication or physical connection with someone or something, often implying an intentional action.

• Please contact me if you have any questions.
• She made contact with the surface of the water.

Used when referring to physically manipulating or dealing with objects, or managing situations or responsibilities. It implies a degree of control or care.

• You need to handle the equipment carefully.
• He knows how to handle stressful situations.

Can be used to describe the physical sensation of touching something, or to express emotions and subjective experiences.

• Feel the texture of this fabric.
• I feel happy today.

Used to describe something having an influence or impact on a situation, person, or thing. It is often used in a more formal context and implies a change or alteration.

• The weather can affect our plans for the picnic.
• His negative attitude affected the team's performance.

Used to describe changing the position of something or causing something to change place. It can also have emotional or motivational connotations.

• She asked him to move the chair.
• The movie's ending moved him to tears.

In some contexts, it might mean to come into physical or metaphorical contact with someone or something, potentially involving closeness or emotion.

• The story touched her deeply
• Please don’t touch the artwork

The ability of the body to perceive physical sensations such as pressure, warmth, or pain through the skin.

• His sense of touch was extremely sensitive; he could feel the smallest changes in texture
• Losing his sense of touch in his fingers made playing the guitar difficult

Refers to both physical sensation and emotional state.

• I have a strange feeling in my arm
• She had a feeling of happiness when she saw her family

Scientific or technical term for the sense of touch, often used in medical or educational contexts.

• Children can develop their tactile sense through play with different textures
• The research focused on how aging affects the tactile sense