Dictionary.com
definitions

hypersensitive

[ hahy-per-sen-si-tiv ]
/ ˌhaɪ pərˈsɛn sɪ tɪv /
|
SEE MORE 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.

RELATED CONTENT

Clickbait Isn’t NewClickbait existed before clicking did “When you find out what these kids are jumping into, your jaw will drop!” “Baby ducks see water for the first time—can you BELIEVE what they do?” Confronted with such emotionally charged lines, it’s almost impossible not to click. Do the tykes tumble into a vat of chocolate syrup? Are ducklings reaching for toothpaste to brush their beaks? Can you …
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

soreness, irritability, inflammation, tenderness, susceptibility, rawness, excitability, tenseness, sensitivity, aversion, vulnerability, oversensitivity

Nearby words

  1. hyperresonance,
  2. hypersalivation,
  3. hypersarcosinemia,
  4. hypersecretion,
  5. hypersecretory,
  6. hypersensitivity,
  7. hypersensitization,
  8. hypersensitize,
  9. hypersexual,
  10. hypersomnia

Origin of hypersensitive

First recorded in 1870–75; hyper- + sensitive
Related formshy·per·sen·si·tive·ness, hy·per·sen·si·tiv·i·ty, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hypersensitivity

British Dictionary definitions for hypersensitivity

hypersensitive

/ (ˌhaɪpəˈsɛnsɪtɪv) /

adjective

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

Word Origin and History for hypersensitivity

hypersensitive

adj.

1827, a hybrid from hyper- + sensitive. Related: Hypersensitivity.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine definitions for hypersensitivity

hypersensitive

[ hī′pər-sĕn′sĭ-tĭv ]

adj.

Responding excessively to the stimulus of a foreign agent, such as an allergen; abnormally sensitive.
Related formshy′per•sen′si•tive•ness null n.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Culture definitions for hypersensitivity

hypersensitivity

An excessive or abnormal sensitivity to a substance. A person who is hypersensitive to a certain drug will often suffer a severe allergic reaction (see allergy) if given the drug.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.