thin-skinned

American  

[thin-skind] / ˈθɪnˈskɪnd /

adjective

1. having a thin skin.

2. sensitive to criticism, reproach, or rebuff; easily offended; touchy.

   a thin-skinned poet.

   Synonyms:

   susceptible, soft, squeamish

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thin-skinned British  

adjective

1. sensitive to criticism or hints; easily upset or affected

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Etymology

Origin of thin-skinned

First recorded in 1590–1600

Explanation

To be thin-skinned is to be sensitive, especially to criticism and slights. Thin-skinned people are quick to take offense. If your skin is literally thin, soft, and tender — like a baby's — than you're going to be hurt more easily if you get scraped or cut. Similarly, a thin-skinned person gets emotionally hurt more often than most people. If you're thin-skinned, you take criticism, rejection, disappointment, and failure very hard. Being left out of anything could be perceived as a major insult. If you forget a thin-skinned person's birthday, they’ll probably hold a grudge.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

thin-skinned

But when it goes away, so do our nightly doses of Colbert’s affable clowning, the kind that irritates thin-skinned despots in a way other comics can’t quite match.

From Salon ● May 21, 2026

At times, Musk spent his days on the witness stand coming off as thin-skinned.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 3, 2026

James Stavridis writes, “Iran has been planning a Strait of Hormuz closure operation for decades and probably has more than 5,000 mines; just one hit can severely damage a thin-skinned tanker.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2026

Trump loves a win and he's very thin-skinned.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2025

Her face had lost its fat and was eerily adult, sunken and thin-skinned.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie