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

---

thin-skinned British  

adjective

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

---

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

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

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

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

From BBC • Jun. 23, 2025

The problem, though, is that they are ultimately thin-skinned and morally immature.

From Slate • Mar. 13, 2025

This is the same thin-skinned coach who this year closed practice to the media, the same one who last year suspended a Southern California New Group reporter for alleged violations of the program’s media policy.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 1, 2024

Just like the night of the party, the ghost shrimp are gathered in their thin-skinned glory in the common area, Chancellor Nyla on a pedestal at the far end.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera