itch
/itʃ/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- An irritating skin sensation that causes a desire to scratch: An unpleasant feeling on the skin that makes you want to rub or scratch it.
- A strong, restless desire or urge: A powerful feeling of wanting to do or have something.
- A contagious skin infection (scabies): A medical condition caused by mites, characterized by intense itching and skin irritation.
Verb (intransitive):
- To feel an irritating skin sensation that causes a desire to scratch: To experience an itch.
- To have a strong, restless desire: To feel a powerful urge to do something.
Verb (transitive):
- To cause an itching sensation: To make someone's skin feel itchy.
- To scrape or rub (a surface) as if to relieve an itch: To scratch or rub something lightly.
Examples
Noun:
- I have an itch on my back that I can't reach.
- She has an itch to travel the world.
- The doctor diagnosed him with the itch (scabies).
Verb (intransitive):
- My mosquito bite itches terribly.
- He is itching to tell everyone the good news.
Verb (transitive):
- This wool sweater itches my neck.
- The dog itched its ear against the door frame.
Advanced Usage
"to have an itch for something": to have a strong desire for something.
- He's always had an itch for adventure.
"to itch to do something": to be very eager to do something.
- The team was itching to get back on the field after their loss.
Variants and Related Words
Itchy (adj): causing or having an itch.
- This tag makes my shirt feel itchy.
Itchiness (n): the state or condition of being itchy.
- The rash caused severe itchiness.
Synonyms
- Noun (sensation): Tingling, prickling.
- Noun (desire): Craving, yearning, longing.
- Verb (to feel itchy): Tingle, prickle.
- Verb (to desire): Yearn, long, ache.
Related Phrasal Verbs/Constructions
- Itch for: to desire something strongly.
- The audience was itching for the concert to begin.
Related Idioms
"to scratch an itch": to satisfy a desire or need.
- Reading a good mystery novel scratches my itch for a puzzle.
"Seven-year itch": a supposed tendency to infidelity after seven years of marriage.
- Their marriage survived the so-called seven-year itch.
Noun
- an irritating cutaneous sensation that produces a desire to scratch
- a strong restless desire
- why this urge to travel?
- a contagious skin infection caused by the itch mite; characterized by persistent itching and skin irritation
- he has a bad case of the itch
Verb
- have a strong desire or urge to do something
- She is itching to start the project
- He is spoiling for a fight
- cause to perceive an itch
- his skin itched
- have or perceive an itch
- I'm itching--the air is so dry!
- scrape or rub as if to relieve itching
- Don't scratch your insect bites!