touch up en · VERB
Pronunciation
Meanings
-
(idiomatic, transitive) To make slight corrections or adjustments to; to fill in or perfect.
The undoubted facts that survived a comparison were few and meagre, for in each case a conscientious journalist had touched up a few vague or doubtful details according to his own ideas of probability.
1914, Ernest Bramah, Max Carrados:Use a small brush to touch up the paint anywhere it is uneven.
-
(UK, idiomatic, transitive) To fondle or to grope someone, usually in an inappropriate way.
The creep was trying to touch up my girlfriend.
I think you remember him! He made me go into the back of his shop and he touched me up, do you remember? And afterwards we shared out the money from the Cinzano. In the end he got round to doing something disgusting, that guy, something disgusting, quite disgusting.
2019, Copi, “Eva Perón”, in Four Plays, Alma Books, →ISBN:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| touches up | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| touching up | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| touched up | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| touched up | Tense=Past | lexicographic |
Relateds
Synonyms
caress (to fondle or grope) · pet · feel up
Translations (18)
es retocar (make finishing touches) · ro retușa (make finishing touches) · pt retocar (make finishing touches) · pl pomacać (fondle or to grope someone, usually in an inappropriate way) · fi lääppiä (fondle or to grope someone, usually in an inappropriate way) · nl retoucheren (make finishing touches) · fr peloter (fondle or to grope someone, usually in an inappropriate way) · fr retoucher (make finishing touches) · fr attoucher (fondle or to grope someone, usually in an inappropriate way) · es meter mano (fondle or to grope someone, usually in an inappropriate way) · pl poprawić (make finishing touches) · pl poprawiać (make finishing touches) · pl obmacywać (fondle or to grope someone, usually in an inappropriate way) · pl macać (fondle or to grope someone, usually in an inappropriate way) · cmn 吃豆腐 (fondle or to grope someone, usually in an inappropriate way) · io retushar (make finishing touches) · pl obmacać (fondle or to grope someone, usually in an inappropriate way) · pt dar um up (make finishing touches)