adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˈtɪk(ə)lɪʃ/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:T IH1 K AH0 L IH0 SH
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Sensitive or susceptible to being tickled.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
She is ticklish only on her tummy and the bottoms of her feet.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Touchy, sensitive, or delicate.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
difficult to handle; requiring great tact
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
delicate negotiations with the big powers
hesitates to be explicit on so ticklish a matter
a touchy subject
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: delicate, touchy
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English tickle Proto-Indo-European *-iskos Proto-Germanic *-iskaz Proto-West Germanic *-isk Old English -isċ Middle English -ish English -ish English ticklish From tickle + -ish.
Across languages
Translations
54 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Chinese:
驚𢸣 /惊𢸣
(kian-ngiau)
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Chinese:
畏𢸣
(ùi-ngiau)
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Chinese:
驚某 /惊某
(zh-min-nan)
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Chinese Mandarin:
怕癢 /怕痒
(pàyǎng)
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Chinese Mandarin:
怕老婆
(pàlǎopó)
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Czech:
lechtivý
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Dutch:
kietelig
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Estonian:
kõdikartlik
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Finnish:
kutiava
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Finnish:
kutiaa
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
French:
chatouilleux
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Gallo:
chatouillou
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
German:
kitzlig
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
German:
kitzelig
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Hungarian:
csiklandós
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Icelandic:
kitlinn
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Irish:
cigilteach
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Italian:
solleticoso
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Japanese:
くすぐったい
(kusuguttai)
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Latin:
tītillōsus
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Khiamniungan Naga:
tǖmāngmāng
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Norwegian Nynorsk:
kitlen
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Polish:
łaskotliwy
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Portuguese:
coceguento
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Portuguese:
cosquento
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Russian:
чувстви́тельный к щеко́тке
(čuvstvítelʹnyj k ščekótke)
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Russian:
боя́щийся щеко́тки
(bojáščijsja ščekótki)
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Serbo-Croatian:
голѝцав
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Serbo-Croatian:
шка̀кљив
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Serbo-Croatian:
голѝцљив
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Serbo-Croatian:
golìcav
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Serbo-Croatian:
škàkljiv
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Serbo-Croatian:
golìcljiv
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Spanish:
cosquilloso
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Swedish:
kittlig
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Tagalog:
maligawgaw
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
Ukrainian:
який боїться лоскотки
(jakyj bojitʹsja loskotky)
— sensitive or susceptible to tickling
