touching Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the event of something coming in contact with the body
    touch.
    • he longed for the touch of her hand
    • the cooling touch of the night air
  2. noun the act of putting two things together with no space between them
    touch.
    • at his touch the room filled with lights
  3. verb make physical contact with, come in contact with
    touch.
    • Touch the stone for good luck
    • She never touched her husband
  4. verb perceive via the tactile sense
    touch.
    • Helen Keller felt the physical world by touching people and objects around her
  5. verb affect emotionally
    touch; stir.
    • A stirring movie
    • I was touched by your kind letter of sympathy
  6. verb be relevant to
    touch on; relate; pertain; have-to doe with; bear on; touch; come to; refer; concern.
    • There were lots of questions referring to her talk
    • My remark pertained to your earlier comments
  7. verb be in direct physical contact with; make contact
    touch; meet; contact; adjoin.
    • The two buildings touch
    • Their hands touched
    • The wire must not contact the metal cover
    • The surfaces contact at this point
  8. verb have an effect upon
    impact; touch on; bear upon; bear on; touch; affect.
    • Will the new rules affect me?
  9. verb deal with; usually used with a form of negation
    touch.
    • I wouldn't touch her with a ten-foot pole
    • The local Mafia won't touch gambling
  10. verb cause to be in brief contact with
    touch.
    • He touched his toes to the horse's flanks
  11. verb to extend as far as
    touch; reach; extend to.
    • The sunlight reached the wall
    • Can he reach?" "The chair must not touch the wall
  12. verb be equal to in quality or ability
    touch; rival; equal; match.
    • Nothing can rival cotton for durability
    • Your performance doesn't even touch that of your colleagues
    • Her persistence and ambition only matches that of her parents
  13. verb tamper with
    touch; disturb.
    • Don't touch my CDs!
  14. verb make a more or less disguised reference to
    touch; allude; advert.
    • He alluded to the problem but did not mention it
  15. verb comprehend
    touch.
    • He could not touch the meaning of the poem
  16. verb consume
    touch; partake.
    • She didn't touch her food all night
  17. verb color lightly
    touch; tinct; tint; tinge.
    • her greying hair was tinged blond
    • the leaves were tinged red in November
  18. adjective satellite arousing affect
    affecting; poignant.
    • the homecoming of the released hostages was an affecting scene
    • poignant grief cannot endure forever
    • his gratitude was simple and touching

WordNet


Touch"ing adjective
Definitions
  1. Affecting; moving; pathetic; as, a touching tale. -- Touch"ing*ly adv.
Touch"ing preposition
Definitions
  1. Concerning; with respect to.
    Now, as touching things offered unto idols. 1 Cor. viii. 1.
Touch"ing noun
Definitions
  1. The sense or act of feeling; touch.

Webster 1913