retouch

retouch — verb

1. to make small improvements to a photograph, digital image, or video by changing

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to make small improvements to a photograph, digital image, or video by changing tiny details such as color, brightness, or unwanted marks so that the result looks cleaner or more attractive.

Example

Gabriela spent the afternoon retouching her wedding photos to clean up small marks.

retouch + photo / image for cleaning marks

The magazine hired a specialist to retouch each model's skin in the pictures.

passive sense: be retouched by a specialist

Common collocations
  • retouch a photo / photograph
  • retouch an image
  • retouch skin / a model's skin
  • retouch a portrait
  • retouch colors / lighting
Synonyms
  • touch up

    more informal, common in everyday conversation

  • edit

    broader meaning that can include major structural changes

  • enhance

    focuses on making something better rather than correcting flaws

  • airbrush

    refers to a specific retouching technique using an airbrush tool

Grammar Patterns

retouch + noun phrase (photo/image/skin/color)

Usage Note

The object is typically a digital or printed visual work — photo, image, portrait, or video frame. This sense is frequently passive in professional contexts ('the image was retouched before publication'). Do not use for text editing or non-visual revisions.

Common Mistakes

She retouched the whole article to fix the spelling.
She edited the whole article to fix the spelling.
Retouch applies to images and video, not to written text.
The designer retouched the layout from scratch.
The designer retouched the layout by adjusting small details.
Retouch means minor improvements, not a complete rebuild.

2. to dye the newly grown section of hair near the roots so that it has the same co

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to dye the newly grown section of hair near the roots so that it has the same color as the existing dyed hair elsewhere on the head.

Example

Ritu goes to the salon every six weeks to retouch her blonde roots.

retouch + the roots of [hair type]

After three months, Jin retouched his hair color because the gray had grown back.

retouch + hair color / dye for coverage

Common collocations
  • retouch roots / hair roots
  • retouch hair / hair color
  • retouch highlights
  • retouch a beard / beard dye
  • retouch gray roots
Synonyms
  • touch up

    general term for minor fixes; works for hair too

  • re-color

    broader — may mean dyeing the whole head, not just new growth

  • root touch-up

    a noun phrase specifically for salon roots service

  • refresh

    marketing language used by hair-product brands

Grammar Patterns

retouch + noun phrase (roots / hair / highlights / beard)

Usage Note

The object is always related to hair or body hair — typically 'roots', 'highlights', 'beard', or 'hair color'. The action is about matching an existing dyed shade, not changing to a new color. This sense is rare outside of hair-care contexts.

Common Mistakes

She retouched her nails with a new polish color.
She touched up her nails with a new polish color.
Retouch for hair only; use 'touch up' for other beauty maintenance.
I retouched my entire hair to a different shade.
I retouched the roots of my hair to match the existing shade.
Retouch means matching the current color, not changing to a new one.

retouch — noun

Word family

  • retouched
    adjectiveB2
  • retouching
    nounB2
  • retouching
    verb (gerund)B2
  • retoucher
    nounC1
  • retouchable
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

These words all refer to improving the appearance of something, but they differ in scope and context. 'Retouch' implies careful, small-scale fixes to visual media or hair color — it is about perfecting existing work rather than reshaping it. 'Touch up' is the informal equivalent, used in everyday conversation for quick fixes of any kind ('touch up the paint on a wall'). 'Edit' is much broader: it covers cutting, rearranging, and transforming content in text, video, or audio, not just beauty fixes. 'Enhance' focuses on making something better or more attractive, often through technical adjustments ('enhance the contrast'). 'Airbrush' is a specific retouching technique that smooths or removes details by spraying fine color. For example, a magazine editor would 'retouch' a model's skin, 'enhance' the background colors, but 'edit' the entire photo layout. A friend might ask you to 'touch up' a blemish on their holiday picture.

retouch ↗touch up ↗edit ↗enhance ↗airbrush ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • carefully retouched
  • professionally retouched
  • digitally retouched
  • quickly retouched
  • lightly retouched

Phrases

  • before-and-after retouch

Prepositions

  • retouch with a brush / tool / dye
  • retouch in a program / salon

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

Borrowed from French 'retoucher', formed from 're-' (again) and 'toucher' (to touch). The word entered English in the late 1700s with the literal meaning 'to touch again'. By the mid-1800s, as photography developed, the word took on its modern meaning of improving images by hand. The hair-color sense emerged from the beauty industry in the 20th century, extending the same idea of 'touching up' new growth to match the old color.