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itchy

adj.
B1 Intermediate US //ˈɪtʃi// UK //ˈɪtʃi// itchy Archaic Vulgar

adj. having a strange or uncomfortable feeling on your skin that makes you want to scratch it. You use this to describe how your skin feels after a bug bite or when wearing a rough sweater.

adj. characterised by an irritating sensation on the skin that elicits a desire to scratch. Often used predicatively after linking verbs like 'feel' or 'be'.


SIMPLE

My skin feels itchy after walking through the tall grass.

CONTEXTUAL

The new wool sweater was so itchy that I had to take it off after only five minutes.

COMPLEX

Patients often report that the rash becomes increasingly itchy during the night, leading to significant sleep disruption and secondary skin irritation from scratching.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English yicchy, ȝicchi, from Old English ġiċċiġ (“itchy”), equivalent to itch + -y. Cognate with Scots yeukie (“itchy”), West Frisian jokkerich (“itchy”), Dutch jeukachtig and jeukerig (“itchy”).

Usage

Often follows linking verbs like 'feel', 'get', or 'become'.

Idioms2 entries

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