responsive
Americanadjective
-
responding especially readily and sympathetically to appeals, efforts, influences, etc..
a responsive government.
- Synonyms:
- sympathetic, understanding, receptive
-
Physiology. acting in response, as to some stimulus.
-
characterized by the use of responses.
responsive worship.
adjective
-
reacting or replying quickly or favourably, as to a suggestion, initiative, etc
-
(of an organism) reacting to a stimulus
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of responsive
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English word from Late Latin word respōnsīvus. See response, -ive
Explanation
People who are responsive are alert and aware — they're giving responses. The least responsive people in the world are people in deep comas. Responsive has several meanings, but they're very similar. If someone just came out of a coma and starting saying anything at all (or even started blinking), you'd be happy at how responsive they are. A person who has enthusiasm is more responsive than someone who is quiet and seems bored. Things other than people can be responsive too: a plant is responsive to sunlight, and the fire department is responsive to a fire. Anything that is alert and quick to react is responsive.
Vocabulary lists containing responsive
Power Prefix: re-
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: re-
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New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Respond to bids for connection: Dr Emmerson said you should "try to be emotionally responsive to your partner when they are seeking connection" - even if they're doing so in subtle ways.
From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2026
“People tend to be more responsive to substantial premium increases along the lines of what we’re seeing for some Medicare prescription drug plans for coverage in 2027,” Cubanski said.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026
In many ways, it’s the actor’s dream — getting paid to perform for packed and responsive crowds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
“We are ready to be extremely responsive, extremely firm, and we will let absolutely nothing pass,” Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told reporters Friday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
The promise of an end to the journey that night and the thought that they had escaped both the fox and the patrol made them eager and responsive.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
