词性: verbwith hands / fingers
1 [VN] to put your hands or fingers onto sb/sth:
Don't touch that plate-it's hot! * Can you touch your toes (= bend and reach them with your hands)? * I touched him lightly on the arm. * (figurative) I must do some more work on that article-I haven't touched it all week.
no space between
2 (of two or more things, surfaces, etc.) to be or come so close together that there is no space between:
[V] Make sure the wires don't touch. * [VN] Don't let your coat touch the wet paint. * His coat was so long it was almost touching the floor. * The dancer's feet hardly seemed to touch the ground.
move sth / hit sb
3 [VN] (often in negative sentences) to move sth, especially in such a way that you damage it; to hit or harm sb:
I told you not to touch my things. * He said I kicked him, but I never touched him!
eat / drink / use
4 [VN] (usually in negative sentences) to eat, drink or use sth:
You've hardly touched your food. * He hasn't touched the money his aunt left him.
affect sb / sth
5 to make sb feel upset or sympathetic:
[VN] Her story touched us all deeply. * What he said really touched my heart. [also VNtoinf]
6 [VN] (old-fashioned or formal) to affect or concern sb/sth:
These are issues that touch us all.
equal sb
7 [VN] (usually in negative sentences) to be as good as sb in skill, quality, etc:
No one can touch him when it comes to interior design.
reach level
8 [VN] to reach a particular level, etc:
The speedometer was touching 90.
be involved with
9 [VN] to become connected with or work with a situation or person:
Everything she touches turns to disaster. * His last two movies have been complete flops and now no studio will touch him.
of smile
10 [VN] to be seen on sb's face for a short time:
A smile touched the corners of his mouth.
IDIOMS
be touched with sth to have a small amount of a particular quality:
His hair was touched with grey. * Some of her poems are touched with real genius.
not touch sb/sth with a bargepole (BrE) (AmE not touch sb/sth with a ten-foot pole) (informal) to refuse to get involved with sb/sth or in a particular situation:
Personally, I wouldn't touch him or his business with a bargepole.
touch base (with sb) (informal) to make contact with sb again
touch bottom
1 to reach the ground at the bottom of an area of water:
I put my feet down and touched bottom.
2 (BrE) to reach the worst possible state or condition:
Her career really touched bottom with that movie.
touch wood (BrE) (AmE knock on wood) (saying) used when you have just mentioned some way in which you have been lucky in the past, to avoid bringing bad luck:
I've been driving for over 20 years and never had an accident-touch wood!
moreatCHORD, FORELOCK, HAIR, NERVEn., RAWn.
PHRASALVERBS
touch down
1 (of a plane, spacecraft, etc.) to land
relatednounTOUCHDOWN
2 (in rugby) to score a TRY by putting the ball on the ground behind the other team's goal line
relatednounTOUCHDOWN
touch sb for sth (informal) to persuade sb to give or lend you sth, especially money:
He tried to touch me for 50 bucks.
touch sth<->off to make sth begin, especially a difficult or violent situation:
The blaze was touched off by lightning. * Her comments touched off a wave of protests.
touch on / upon sth to mention or deal with a subject in only a few words, without going into detail:
In his speech he was only able to touch on a few aspects of the problem. * The central issue of the debate was hardly touched on in his speech.
touch sb<->up (BrE, informal) to touch sb sexually, usually in a way that is not expected or welcome
touch sth<->up to improve sth by changing or adding to it slightly:
She was busy touching up her make-up in the mirror.
