untouched

IPA/ʌnˈtʌtʃt/
KK[əntˈʌtʃt]IPA/ʌnˈtʌtʃt/

untouched — adjective

  • untouchedpositive
  • more untouchedcomparative
  • most untouchedsuperlative

1. Something that is untouched has stayed exactly the same as before, without being

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

Something that is untouched has stayed exactly the same as before, without being damaged, changed, or made worse by anyone or anything.

Example

Tamar walked into her childhood bedroom and found it untouched, with the same posters on the walls.

The ancient temple remained untouched by the earthquake, while many modern buildings collapsed.

collocation: remained untouched by + [disaster]

Common collocations
  • remain untouched
  • leave untouched
  • stay untouched
  • keep untouched
  • untouched by
Synonyms
  • unspoiled

    more specific to natural beauty or pleasant qualities not ruined

  • pristine

    more formal; suggests original purity or cleanliness

  • undamaged

    focuses on absence of harm rather than absence of change

  • intact

    emphasizes that all parts are still present; slightly more formal

Antonyms
  • damaged

    having parts broken or harmed

  • spoiled

    ruined in quality, often by human activity

Grammar Patterns

remain untouched

leave something untouched

stay untouched

Usage Note

Frequently appears with verbs that suggest preservation or stasis, such as remain, stay, keep, and leave. The word emphasizes a state of full preservation rather than partial intactness.

Common Mistakes

The phone is untouched' (when meaning not used).
The phone looks untouched
no scratches or marks on it.' — Untouched emphasizes no damage or change, not merely an unused state.

2. When food or drink is untouched, nobody has eaten or drunk any of it — it remain

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

When food or drink is untouched, nobody has eaten or drunk any of it — it remains exactly as it was when served.

Example

Caio pushed his plate aside with most of the meal untouched.

collocation: meal untouched

The waiter noticed that Élise's dessert was untouched and asked if she wanted it packed.

Common collocations
  • meal untouched
  • food untouched
  • left untouched
  • sat untouched
Synonyms
  • uneaten

    more direct; focuses on the act of not eating rather than the undisturbed state

  • unconsumed

    very formal; rarely used in everyday speech

Antonyms
  • eaten

    having been consumed

  • tasted

    having had at least a small amount eaten

Grammar Patterns

[food/drink] + be + untouched

[quantifier] + of + [food] + untouched

Usage Note

Typically used of food or drink that has been served to someone but not consumed. Unlike 'uneaten', which simply states that no eating happened, 'untouched' implies the food has not been in any way disturbed.

Common Mistakes

The food was untouched by anyone' (too wordy).
The food sat untouched on the table.
The word already implies nobody has eaten it; adding 'by anyone' is redundant.

3. If a person is untouched by an experience or event, their feelings, opinions, or

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

If a person is untouched by an experience or event, their feelings, opinions, or behaviour stay the same — that thing has no power to change them.

Example

Mert seemed untouched by the criticism and continued with his plan as if nothing had happened.

pattern: untouched by + [criticism/negativity]

Nadia listened to the sad story but remained untouched, her face showing no emotion at all.

Common collocations
  • untouched by
  • remain untouched
  • seem untouched
Synonyms
  • unaffected

    more common and less literary; works in the same pattern

  • unmoved

    suggests an emotional rather than a behavioural lack of change

  • indifferent

    implies a deliberate lack of concern; slightly negative connotation

Antonyms
  • affected

    having been changed emotionally or behaviourally

  • moved

    having experienced an emotional response

Grammar Patterns

untouched by + something

remain untouched by

Usage Note

The thing that does not affect someone usually follows the preposition by. The word often pairs with seem, appear, or remain to suggest that lack of effect was noteworthy or unexpected.

Common Mistakes

He was untouched for the sad movie.
He was untouched by the sad movie.
The correct preposition is by, not for.

4. An object that is untouched has not been held, moved, or brought into contact wi

4.adjectiveB2
Definition

An object that is untouched has not been held, moved, or brought into contact with anyone's hands or body.

Example

The crime scene was left untouched until the police investigation team arrived.

common context: crime scene left untouched

Nkechi told the movers to keep the box marked fragile completely untouched.

Common collocations
  • leave untouched
  • seal untouched
  • keep untouched
  • remain untouched
Synonyms
  • unhandled

    very rare; mostly used in technical or formal writing

  • undisturbed

    broader; suggests nothing has been moved or interfered with

  • unopened

    specific to containers; implies seals or fastenings are still intact

Antonyms
  • handled

    having been held or manipulated by hand

  • touched

    having come into physical contact with someone or something

Grammar Patterns

leave something untouched

remain untouched

Usage Note

Common in contexts involving evidence, crime scenes, museum collections, and sealed packaging. Frequently appears in passive constructions with leave.

Common Mistakes

The box was untouched by me' (unnecessary addition).
The box was untouched when I found it.
The literal sense does not need an agent; what matters is the object's undisturbed state.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Untouched, unspoiled, pristine, undamaged, and intact all describe something that has not been harmed or altered, but they differ in scope and connotation. Untouched is the broadest term, focusing on the absence of any change or interference — a room left exactly as it was, a coastline free of development. Unspoiled is more positive, suggesting that natural beauty or pleasant qualities remain; you would say 'unspoiled beaches' but not 'unspoiled evidence'. Pristine is more formal and suggests an original state of cleanness or purity, often used for natural environments or manufactured goods that look brand-new. Undamaged is narrower, focusing only on the absence of physical harm — a building can be undamaged after a storm even if its contents were moved. Intact emphasizes that every part is still present and nothing is missing; a vase that falls but does not break is intact, whereas untouched might suggest it never fell at all. Use untouched for broad, neutral descriptions of things that have not been interfered with; use the others when you want to highlight a specific quality such as beauty (unspoiled), cleanness (pristine), structural safety (undamaged), or wholeness (intact).

unspoiled ↗pristine ↗undamaged ↗intact ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • crime scene untouched
  • food untouched
  • seal untouched
  • coastline untouched

Adverbs

  • completely untouched
  • still untouched
  • largely untouched
  • virtually untouched
  • relatively untouched

Phrases

  • leave untouched
  • remain untouched
  • stay untouched
  • keep untouched
  • sit untouched

Prepositions

  • untouched by

Etymology

Vulgar LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Untouched is formed by adding the prefix un- (meaning 'not') to the past participle touched, from the verb touch. Touch entered English through Old French touchier, which came from Vulgar Latin toccare, originally meaning 'to knock or strike a bell'. The literal sense of 'not physically contacted' dates back to Middle English, while the figurative senses of 'undamaged' and 'unaffected' developed over the following centuries.