Word Finder
What's the word for someone who is easily offended?
The word you're looking for
Someone who is touchy gets upset or annoyed easily, especially when criticized or teased. It directly describes a person who takes offense quickly over small things.
Other words that fit
Use this when you want to emphasize long-term emotional sensitivity or when discussing someone's vulnerability to criticism.
Use this in formal, clinical, or professional contexts to describe extreme emotional sensitivity or psychological reactivity.
Use this when describing someone irritable and annoyed about many things, not just when criticized or offended.
Why this word
Touchy is the most natural everyday word for describing someone who is easily offended or annoyed. The phrase thin-skinned is an older but equally common idiom meaning something similar. Some learners confuse touchy with physical touch, so context is important. In professional or clinical settings, hypersensitive sounds more formal. All these words suggest someone who needs careful, thoughtful handling of their emotions and feelings.
In context
- Don't make jokes about his appearance—he's quite touchy about it.
- She gets offended easily; she's very touchy.
- He's too touchy to handle direct workplace criticism.
Other concepts to find a word for
Frequently asked questions
- Is 'touchy' the same as 'thin-skinned'?
- They mean nearly the same thing. Touchy is more informal and common in everyday speech, while thin-skinned is a fixed phrase that sounds slightly more formal.
- Can 'touchy' describe a topic or subject?
- Yes! A touchy subject or touchy topic means something people find sensitive or potentially offensive to discuss.
- Is it polite to call someone 'touchy'?
- Not really—it can sound negative or critical. Try saying sensitive or takes things to heart for a kinder way to describe someone.
- What's the opposite of 'touchy'?
- Thick-skinned describes someone who is not easily offended and doesn't take criticism personally.