hypersensitive

[ hahy-per-sen-si-tiv ]

See synonyms for hypersensitive on Thesaurus.com

adjective

excessively sensitive: to be hypersensitive to criticism.
allergic to a substance to which persons do not normally react.

Origin of hypersensitive

First recorded in 1870–75; hyper- + sensitive

Other words from hypersensitive

hy·per·sen·si·tive·ness, hy·per·sen·si·tiv·i·ty, noun

Words Nearby hypersensitive

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hypersensitive in a sentence

Lowe is also hypersensitive to what she wears while working out, having gotten looks once for donning just a sports bra on a hot day.
The appeal and the shortcomings of women-only gyms | Chika Ekemezie | October 8, 2021 | Vox
According to her, it is not her fault that I am too stupid to do anything right and am so ridiculously hypersensitive — two of many things she cannot stand about me.
Miss Manners: Get out of Dodge before the abusive mother-in-law visits | Judith Martin, Nicholas Martin, Jacobina Martin | February 25, 2021 | Washington Post
Sharks rely on a specific pH in water for their hypersensitive noses.
Let’s learn about acids and bases | Bethany Brookshire | February 23, 2021 | Science News For Students
People are hypersensitive to the messages brands are putting out during this pandemic, which means this personal touch matters more than ever.
Unpacking the TikTok algorithm: Three reasons why it’s the most addictive social network | Brian Freeman | September 11, 2020 | Search Engine Watch
Anyone who identifies as an ‘ist’ is going to be hypersensitive about some topics.
Louis C.K. on Daniel Tosh’s Rape Joke: Are Comedy and Feminism Enemies? | Jennifer L. Pozner | July 18, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST

But the hyperactive Sarkozy is hypersensitive to these oft-repeated allegations of skullduggery.
A Wrench in the Dominique Strauss-Kahn Conspiracy Theory | Christopher Dickey | April 29, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Certain to avoid talking politics in front of the hypersensitive cameras, Boehner opted for the more germane.
Boehner Has Eyes for Jill Biden | Daniel Stone | September 9, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
Seventeen years ago military leaders were hypersensitive to such a bold change in military culture.
Powell's Gay Soldier Dilemma | Gail Sheehy | February 5, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
A hypersensitive conscience cost our widowed client ten thousand dollars!
By Advice of Counsel | Arthur Train
If I were hypersensitive to the silly things people say, I should have given up selling long before.
Greener Than You Think | Ward Moore
He looked, wondering what made this young attractive woman hypersensitive on the subject of sex.
And Then the Town Took Off | Richard Wilson
My grounds for perturbation are not imaginary or based on the hallucinations of a hypersensitive mind.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 159, November 10, 1920 | Various
Owing to the emotional strain to which I had been subjected I may have been in a hypersensitive condition.
Lalage's Lovers | George A. Birmingham

British Dictionary definitions for hypersensitive

hypersensitive

/ (ˌhaɪpəˈsɛnsɪtɪv) /

adjective

having unduly vulnerable feelings
abnormally sensitive to an allergen, a drug, or other agent

Derived forms of hypersensitive

hypersensitiveness or hypersensitivity, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Browse