I.
noun
1 act of touching sb/sth
ADJECTIVE
▪ delicate , gentle , light , slight
▪
The slightest ~ will set off the alarm.
PREPOSITION
▪ at sb/sth's ~
▪
The door swung open at his ~.
▪
You can now shop at the ~ of a button.
PHRASES
▪ be cold, hot, soft, etc. to the ~
▪
The solid rock was warm to the ~.
2 small detail
ADJECTIVE
▪ final , finishing
▪ decorative , festive , homely ( BrE ), romantic
▪
The family photos add a homely ~.
▪
The candles gave the table a romantic ~.
▪ humorous
▪ classy , lovely ( esp. BrE ), nice , professional
▪
Giving her flowers was a nice ~.
▪ feminine , human , individual , personal
▪ little , small , subtle
▪
The decor includes many individual little ~es.
VERB + TOUCH
▪ add , give sth , put
▪
She's just putting the finishing ~es to her painting.
3 particular ability
ADJECTIVE
▪ golden , magic
▪ deft , sure ( esp. BrE )
▪
She seemed to have a deft ~ with comedy.
▪
With students she had a sure ~ and showed great personal sensitivity.
▪ light
▪
He handles this controversial subject with a light ~.
▪ political
▪
He found his old political ~ when the crisis emerged.
▪ shooting ( AmE ) (in basketball)
▪
He must regain his shooting ~.
VERB + TOUCH
▪ have
▪ find
▪ lack
▪ lose
▪
Maybe the champion is losing her magic ~.
PHRASES
▪ the common ~
▪
a politician who lacked the common ~
4 small amount of sth
ADJECTIVE
▪ little , subtle
▪ welcome
▪ right
▪
He has just the right ~ of arrogance for the role.
VERB + TOUCH
▪ add , bring
▪
Her speech brought a welcome ~ of frivolity to the evening.
PREPOSITION
▪ with a ~ of
▪
‘Thanks,’ she said, with a ~ of sarcasm.
▪ ~ of
5 contact
ADJECTIVE
▪ close
▪
The security staff were in close ~ with the local police.
VERB + TOUCH
▪ get in
▪
I'm trying to get in ~ with Jane. Do you have her number?
▪ keep in , stay in
▪
It is important to keep in ~ with the latest research.
▪
Let's keep in ~.
▪ put sb in
▪
I'll put you in ~ with someone in your area.
▪ lose
▪
I've lost ~ with all my old friends.
PREPOSITION
▪ in ~
▪
Are you still in ~ with your friends from college?
▪ out of ~
▪
This government is increasingly out of ~ with ordinary voters.
▪ ~ with
II.
verb
1 put your hand on sb/sth; be in contact with sb/sth
ADVERB
▪ (not) actually , not even , not quite
▪
He did not actually ~ the substance, but may have inhaled it.
▪ barely , hardly , scarcely
▪
You've hardly ~ed your food (= not eaten it) .
▪ almost , nearly , practically
▪
Their faces were almost ~ing.
▪ just
▪ briefly
▪
His fingers briefly ~ed hers.
▪ gently , lightly
▪ gingerly
▪ accidentally , inadvertently
▪
He accidentally ~ed a live wire.
▪ never
▪
He said I kicked him, but I never ~ed him!
VERB + TOUCH
▪ want to
▪ (not) dare (to)
▪
Don't you dare ~ me!
▪ reach out, over, up, etc. to
▪
Her hand reached out to ~ his cheek.
▪ let sb
▪
He wouldn't let me ~ the wound.
PREPOSITION
▪ on
▪
He ~ed her gently on the arm.
▪ with
▪
She ~ed him with her hand.
PHRASES
▪ (be) careful not to ~ sth
▪
She hugged him, being careful not to ~ his broken wrist.
▪ close enough to ~ sb/sth
▪
He was close enough to ~ her.
2 make sb feel a strong emotion
ADVERB
▪ deeply
▪
The story ~ed me very deeply.
PHRASAL VERB
touch on/upon sth
ADVERB
▪ briefly
▪ just , merely
▪
Photography is merely ~ed on in the book.
VERB + TOUCH ON/UPON
▪ want to
▪
I want to ~ briefly on another aspect of the problem.
Touch is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑ foot , ↑ hand , ↑ sun , ↑ tragedy
Touch is used with these nouns as the object: ↑ arm , ↑ ball , ↑ bottom , ↑ ceiling , ↑ cheek , ↑ chin , ↑ exhibit , ↑ flesh , ↑ floor , ↑ genitals , ↑ ground , ↑ hand , ↑ hat , ↑ heart , ↑ key , ↑ knob , ↑ stove , ↑ subject , ↑ surface , ↑ toe