Itchy
/ˈɪtʃi/
adjectiveA2
Definition
Itchy means having a strong desire to scratch your skin because it feels uncomfortable or irritated. This feeling can come from things like insect bites, allergies, dry skin, or rashes. When skin is itchy, touching or scratching it usually helps reduce the uncomfortable feeling.
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See It in Action
Describing skin that feels uncomfortable and causes a desire to scratch
- •My arm feels itchy after the mosquito bite.
- •The wool sweater made my skin itchy.
- •She has an itchy rash because of an allergy.
Used figuratively to describe a strong desire to do something (less common, more informal)
- •He was itchy to start the game and couldn’t wait.
- •She felt itchy to leave the party early.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "itchy" like "uncomfortable," but specifically for your skin—it makes you want to touch or scratch
- ✓Picture the feeling when a mosquito bites you, and you want to rub or scratch that spot a lot
- ✓It's the annoying feeling you get when your clothes or a tag rub your skin in a bad way
- ✓Sounds like "itchy" → imagine "itch" + "ee," like a small "ee" sound that reminds you of a tiny, annoying feeling on your skin
- ✓Remember cartoons where characters scratch their heads or arms quickly because something is bothering their skin
- ✓NOT like "pain" (which hurts), "itchy" is more like a tickle or uncomfortable feeling, not sharp or strong hurt
- ✓NOT like "wet" (feeling of water), itchy is a dry, irritating feeling that makes you want to scratch
- ✓NOT like "hot" (temperature feeling), itchy is about irritation, not heat
Try Other Words
- •Irritated: skin feeling uncomfortable or sore (Use when the skin is red or sore, not just itching)
- •Scratchy: rough or uncomfortable to touch (Use when describing clothes, fabrics, or surfaces)
- •Uncomfortable: general feeling of discomfort (Use when the feeling is not only about skin but overall unease)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "itch" (a feeling on the skin) + suffix "-y" (makes an adjective meaning “having the quality of”)
- •Etymology: From Old English "īcce," related to the verb "itch," meaning to feel a desire to scratch
- •Historical development: The word has been used in English for many centuries to describe the skin sensation
- •Modern usage: Commonly used to describe skin feelings and sometimes used informally for a strong desire to do something
Reflect & Connect
•Have you ever felt itchy because of something unexpected? How did you react?
•Can the feeling of being "itchy" be helpful in any way, like telling you something is wrong with your skin?
Fill in the blanks
1.After the hike, my legs were itchy because of the ___ plants we walked through.
2.When skin is itchy, people often want to ___ it to feel better.
3.The wool sweater was itchy and made her skin feel ___ all day.
4.He felt itchy to ___ the new video game as soon as possible.
5.Unlike pain, itchy is a feeling that makes you want to ___, not just avoid.
6.If your skin is itchy after touching something, it might be ___ to that material.
7.An itchy rash often shows that your skin is ___ or reacting to something outside.