Touche

Touché is a term borrowed from French, literally meaning “touched.” It is most commonly associated with the sport of fencing, where it serves as the formal acknowledgement that a successful hit has been made on a opponent.

In fencing, touché is used across all three weapons: foil, épée, and sabre. When a fencer lands a valid hit on the opponent’s target area, the touch is registered and the referee, or the scoring apparatus, signals the hit. The rules for scoring vary by weapon: épée has no right-of-way limitations and any valid hit scores, while foil and sabre use right-of-way to determine which fencer receives the point in a given exchange. Regardless of the weapon, the utterance or signaling of touché marks the conclusion of that exchange and the continuation of the bout after the appropriate reset.

Beyond the sport, touché has entered general usage in English and other languages. It is commonly employed to acknowledge a clever, accurate, or deft point made by an opponent, often with a tone of concession and respect. In English, the accent is frequently omitted, though it may be retained in more formal or traditional contexts to preserve the original French form.

Etymologically, touché derives from the French toucher meaning “to touch,” with touché as the past participle. The term reflects the momentary recognition of a touch in combat as well as in metaphorical exchange.