touchy-feely

English

Adjective

touchy-feely (comparative more touchy-feely, superlative most touchy-feely)

1. (informal) Having a fondness for physical contact with other people, especially to an excessive degree.

   My last boyfriend was a lovely guy, but I dumped him because he was too touchy-feely with me in public.

   • 2015 February 23, “Oscars 2015: 10 things we learned”, in The Guardian (London)^[1]:

     This time, the actor was in uncomfortably touchy-feely form. First he sidled up behind Scarlett Johansson as she posed on the red carpet, kissed her, and slid his hand around her waist.

2. (idiomatic, usually derogatory) Driven by intuition or emotion, with a connotation of de-emphasis of rational thought or logic.

   He preferred the clarity of science and left the touchy-feely stuff to others.

3. (idiomatic, usually derogatory) Appealing to emotion, sympathy, or romance.

   I think the movie had too much touchy-feely nonsense and not enough action.