touch
verb uk/tʌtʃ/ us/tʌtʃ/
(PUT HAND ON)
B1 [ I or T ]碰，触摸
to put your hand or another part of your body lightly onto and off something or someone
That paint is wet - don't touch (it). 那块油漆没干——别碰（它）。
He touched the girl on the arm to get her attention. 他碰了碰女孩的胳膊以引起她的注意。
The boy touched the worm with (= using, in his hand) a twig. 小孩用小树枝碰了碰虫子。
figurative The setting sun touched the trees with red (= made them appear red for a short time). 落日的余晖染红了树林。
- More examples
- Don't touch the machine when it's in use.
- The water's not deep here - look, I can touch the bottom.
- I could feel myself tense up as he touched my neck.
- A new baby will automatically curl its fingers round any object it touches.
- "You're burning up!" she said, touching his forehead.
(BE CLOSE TOGETHER)
B2 [ I or T ]（两个或两个以上的物品）接触
(of two or more things) to be so close together that there is no space between; to be in contact
He fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow. 他头一沾枕头就睡着了。
She pushed the two bookcases together until they touched/were touching. 她把两个书柜推到一起。
(HARM/DAMAGE)
C2 伤害（某人）；使用（某物）；破坏（某物）
to harm someone, or use or damage something
Please don't touch any of my stuff while I'm away. 我不在时候请不要碰我的东西。
(EAT/DRINK)
[ T ] informal沾，吃，喝
(usually used in negative sentences) to eat or drink something
They didn't touch any of the food we left for them. 我们留下来给他们的食物，他们一点也没碰。
Honestly, I haven't touched a drop (= drunk any alcohol) all night. 老实说，我整晚滴酒未沾。
(INFLUENCE)
[ T ]触动，感动
to influence someone or something emotionally, or cause feelings of sympathy in someone
Tragedy touched their lives when their son was 16. 他们儿子16岁那年，他们的生活中发生了悲剧。
The TV report about the children's work for charity touched thousands of people's hearts. 电视上报道的孩子们为慈善团体所做的事令成千上万的人深受触动。
(BE AS GOOD)
[ T ]（通常用于否定句）比得上
(usually used in negative sentences) to have or reach the same standard (= level of quality) as someone or something
Her novels can't touch (= are not as good as) those of her sister. 她的小说不及她姐姐的好。
There's no one to touch him as an illustrator of children's books. 在为儿童读物创作插图方面，没人比他画得好。
Idioms
touch baseidiom 与（某人）取得联系;聊聊，谈谈
to talk to someone for a short time to find out how they are or what they think about something
I just wanted to quickly touch base with you: did you get an email from my secretary about the meeting? 我只想快快地问一下：你收到我的秘书给你的关于这个会议的邮件吗？
touch woodidiom UK informal (US knock on wood) 老天保佑
said in order to avoid bad luck, either when you mention good luck that you have had in the past or when you mention hopes you have for the future
The deal will be agreed on Wednesday, touch wood. 这笔交易将在星期三达成，老天保佑。
touch/strike/hit a (raw) nerveidiom 触及（某人）痛处，使（某人）难过
to upset someone
The newspaper article touched a raw nerve - people still resent the closure of the local school. 报纸上的文章触到了人们的痛处——人们仍然对关闭当地学校一事愤愤不平。
wouldn't touch something with a barge poleidiom UK informal (US wouldn't touch something with a ten-foot pole) 压根儿不想买；根本不想与…有瓜葛
used to mean that you certainly do not want to buy something or be involved with something
Phrasal verbs
touch down （航天器）着陆，降落
When an aircraft touches down, it lands.
See also: touchdown (LANDING)
touch something in 增添细节以润色;用轻快的笔法给大型画作增加细节
to draw or paint a detail in a larger painting with quick light marks
touch something off 触发;激起
to cause a violent or difficult series of events to suddenly begin
The plans for a new airport have touched off a storm of protest. 建造新机场的计划激起了抗议浪潮。
touch on/upon something （说话或写作时）简略提到，触及
to mention a subject quickly when speaking or writing about another subject
The talk was about educational opportunities for adults, and the speaker also touched upon sources of finance. 该报告谈的是成人的教育机会，报告人也提到了资金来源问题。
touch something up （稍加）修饰，润色
to improve something by making small changes or additions
She touched up her lipstick and brushed her hair. 她补了补唇膏，梳了梳头发。
We thought the photo had probably been touched up, because he looked so much younger in it. 我们觉得照片很可能修饰过，因为他在照片中看起来要年轻得多。
touch someone up 猥亵地触摸（某人）
to touch someone's body in a sexual way without their permission
She claimed that he had tried to touch her up. 她声称他试图动手动脚非礼她。
touch
noun uk/tʌtʃ/ us/tʌtʃ/
(SMALL AMOUNT)
C2 [ S ]少许
a small amount
"Would you like milk?" "Just a touch." “你要牛奶吗？”“只要一点儿。”
There was a touch of irony/humour in her voice. 她的话音中带着点儿讽刺／幽默的意味。
[ S ] informal（病的）轻度
To show that an illness is not too serious, you can say you have had a touch of it.
I had a touch of flu/hay fever. 我得了轻度流感／枯草热。
C2 [ C ]装点，润色
a small addition or detail that makes something better
The speech had several comic touches. 这一演讲有几分滑稽色彩。
Using a sailing ship as the company logo was a touch of genius (= a good/clever idea or action). 用大帆船作公司的标志真是个天才的想法。
The flowers on the table provided the finishing touch. 桌上的花是最后一道点缀。
a touch 有点儿，微微
slightly
The weather has turned a touch too cold for my liking. 天气变得有点儿凉，我不太喜欢。
- More examples
- There was so much publicity and hype beforehand, that the performance itself was a touch anticlimactic.
- There was a touch of frost on the hills.
- Add just a touch of cream to the mixture.
- His work has a touch of pathos.
- The gold decoration will add a touch of class.
(FEELING)
B2 [ U ]触觉
the ability to know what something is like by feeling it with the fingers
the sense of touch 触觉
I found the right coin in the dark by touch. 我在黑暗中摸索着找对了硬币。
to the touchB2 (also to your touch) （用于形容词后）摸起来（感到…）
used after an adjective to express how something feels when you put your hand on it
The material was soft to the touch. 这块布料摸起来很柔软。
- More examples
- Although snakes look slimy their skin is actually dry to the touch.
- I felt a gentle touch on my arm.
- I can control the doors at the touch of a switch.
- Her skin was icy to the touch.
(MOVEMENT ONTO/OFF)
B2 [ C usually singular ]（尤指用手）触摸，碰
a quick, light movement of one thing, especially a hand, onto and off another thing
I felt a cold touch on my arm. 我感到有什么冰凉的东西碰到了我的胳膊。
At a/the touch of a button, the door opened. 一碰按钮，门就开了。
(COMMUNICATION)
be, get, keep, etc. in touchB1 有／取得／保持（等等）联系
to communicate or continue to communicate with someone by using a phone or writing to them
Are you still in touch with any of your old school friends? 你还和以前学生时代的老朋友有联系吗？
Jen and I never kept in touch after college. 我和简大学毕业后就没有联系过。
We're in close touch with our office in Spain. 我们与西班牙的办事处有密切的联系。
lose touchB2 （通常因身居异地）失去联系
to stop communicating with someone, usually because they do not live near you now
We lost touch over the years. 我们这些年失去了联系。
(ABILITY)
[ S or U ]特长;才能
an ability to do things in the stated, especially positive, way
He has a deft touch with tricky painting jobs. 他很善于做复杂的油漆活。
She gave the job her own special/magic/professional/personal touch. 这项工作展现了她独特／神奇／专业／个人的才能。
I admire her lightness/sureness of touch as a cook. 我欣赏她做厨师的精细／踏实劲儿。
He used to be a good writer but I think he's losing his touch. 他曾经是个好作家，但我觉得他的创作能力正在下降。
(BALL CONTROL)
[ C or U ]（足球等体育中）触球能力;触球
in sports such as football, a player's ability to control the ball and make it do what they want, or an occasion when a player controls the ball with their foot
Nicolas Anelka squandered the chance to score when his touch let him down in front of goal. 尼古拉·安内尔卡在球门前触球不当，浪费了一次进球机会。
Hazard took several touches before crossing. 哈扎德触了好几次球之后把球传中。
(SPORT)
[ U ]（足球及类似体育运动的）边线以外区域
the area outside either of the long edges of the space on which football and rugby are played
Playing for safety, he kicked the ball into touch. 为了安全起见，他把球踢出了界外。
See also: touchline
(KNOWLEDGE)
be in/out of touchC2 了解／不了解最新情况
If you are in touch/out of touch with a subject, activity, or situation, your knowledge about it is recent/not recent.
He's not really in touch with what young people are interested in. 他并不真正了解年轻人现在对什么感兴趣。
I didn't see any news all the time I was on holiday, so I'm completely out of touch. 我在度假期间一直都没有看新闻，所以现在对外界一无所知。