# itch

/ˈɪtʃ/ (US) · /ˈɪtʃ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/itch
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. skin sensation

noun · CEFR B1

an uncomfortable feeling on your skin that makes you want to scratch it.

For teachers: an irritating cutaneous sensation that creates an urge to scratch the affected area.

- The wool sweater gave me a terrible itch on my neck.
- The patient described a persistent itch on her forearm that intensified whenever she was exposed to direct sunlight.

### 2. strong desire

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a strong feeling that you want to do something or go somewhere.

For teachers: a restless or persistent desire to perform a particular action or experience something new.

- After three years in the same job, he started to feel an itch to travel.
- Despite her professional success in the city, she felt a constant itch to return to the quiet life of the countryside.

### 4. to want to do something

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to want to do something very much and feel impatient to start.

For teachers: to have a strong, restless urge to do something; frequently used in the progressive form followed by an infinitive.

- The players were itching to get back on the field after the rain stopped.
- The investigative journalist was itching to publish the story, but her editor insisted on waiting for secondary confirmation of the sources.

## Examples

- I have a small itch on my arm.
- The wool sweater gave him a persistent itch that lasted all afternoon.
- After five years of living in the same quiet suburb, he began to feel a familiar itch to sell his house and travel across the continent.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.