This verb means to itch or scratch, used metaphorically in 2 Timothy 4:3 for those with 'itching ears'—craving teachers who tickle their ears with what they want to hear rather than sound doctrine. The Spanish 'teniendo comezón' and German 'Juckreiz haben' both preserve the itch imagery. This vivid metaphor describes the restless pursuit of novel or flattering teaching that satisfies curiosity without demanding transformation.