VocabauraVOCABAURA

touch up

verb

Simple meaning

To make slight corrections or adjustments to.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

tuhchuhp

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈtʌˈtʃʌp

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. idiomatictransitive

    To make slight corrections or adjustments to; to fill in or perfect.

  2. ukidiomatictransitive

    To fondle or to grope someone, usually in an inappropriate way.

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: To make slight corrections or adjustments to; to fill in or perfect.

Used this way, touch up is a reasonably familiar word with a mildly favourable edge. It stays understated rather than dramatic. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Slightly positive
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Mild
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
Positive and appreciative
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

Share your sentence

Write your own example sentence using “touch up”. We review each one before it appears.

Ask Vocabaura

Understand the word your way.

What Does It Mean Here?

Words can change meaning depending on context.

Use it yourself

Knowing “touch up” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.

Know the meaning? Practice using it in a real situation, free, no credits.

Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.