noun

haptics

HAP-tiks

Haptics (noun) means the technology that lets a device communicate through touch, using vibrations, taps and resistance to simulate the feel of buttons, textures or impacts. Example: “The controller's haptics let you feel the tension of the bowstring.”

noun

technical The technology that lets a device communicate through touch, using vibrations, taps and resistance to simulate the feel of buttons, textures or impacts.

"The controller's haptics let you feel the tension of the bowstring."

"Turn the haptics down if the keyboard buzz annoys you."

technical The study of touch and of how people perceive the world through physical contact.

"Her doctorate was in haptics and prosthetic design."

How to use haptics

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe buzzes and taps a phone or controller uses to talk to your fingers.

When to use it

Technical, but now common in consumer product reviews.

Memory tip

Haptic is the adjective, haptics the field or the feature set.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

haptic optics → tactile →

Common pairings

haptic feedback haptic engine advanced haptics turn off haptics

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Test yourself on “haptics” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The controller's _____ let you feel the tension of the bowstring.

Etymology

From Greek haptikos 'able to touch or grasp', from haptesthai 'to touch'.

Origin: Greek

Synonyms

View more →

haptic feedback force feedback tactile feedback

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between haptics and vibration?

Vibration is one crude effect: the whole device shakes. Haptics covers a designed range of sensations, precisely timed and varied in strength, so a tap, a click and a rumble feel distinctly different.

Is haptics singular or plural?

It takes a singular verb, like physics or mathematics: the haptics on this phone is excellent. In everyday tech talk people often treat it as plural instead, and nobody objects.

What does haptic mean as an adjective?

Relating to the sense of touch. A haptic engine is the small motor producing the sensations; haptic feedback is what you feel when it fires.

What is the meaning of haptics?

"haptics" (noun) means the technology that lets a device communicate through touch, using vibrations, taps and resistance to simulate the feel of buttons, textures or impacts.