tactile

Meanings

1. 1adjectivenot comparable

   Connected with the sense of touch, or felt by touching.

   Grammar: Usually appears before a noun: tactile sensation.

   Patterns

   • tactile sense

   Babies explore the world through tactile experience.

   The book has tactile pages made of different fabrics.

   Braille is a tactile writing system.

2. 2adjectivecomparable

   Having a surface that invites touching, or pleasant to feel.

   Grammar: Can describe materials or design: the fabric is very tactile.

   The sofa has a soft, tactile surface.

   Designers chose tactile materials such as wool and wood.

   The packaging feels very tactile.

3. 3adjectivecomparableBritish

   Fond of touching or hugging other people when you talk to them.

   Grammar: Describes a person: she is very tactile.

   My aunt is very tactile and hugs everyone she meets.

   He is less tactile than his brother.

Word forms

Common combinations

tactile sensation

The tactile sensation of the sand was soothing.

tactile experience

The museum offers a tactile experience for blind visitors.

tactile feedback

The keyboard gives clear tactile feedback.

tactile learning

Tactile learners remember best by handling objects.

tactile quality

The artist is known for the tactile quality of her paintings.

Synonyms and how they differ

tangible

Tangible means real enough to touch, or concrete, while tactile is about the touching sense itself.

touchy-feely

Touchy-feely is informal and sometimes mocking about emotional or physical openness, while tactile is neutral.

haptic

Haptic is technical and used for touch technology, like vibrations in a phone.

Opposites

Word family

tactility noun

the quality of being pleasant to touch

tactilely adverb

in a way related to touch

tact noun

skill in dealing with people without upsetting them

Commonly confused: tactile or tactical?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “tactile”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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