sensitive

[ sen-si-tiv ]

/ ˈsɛn sɪ tɪv /

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See synonyms for: sensitive / sensitively on Thesaurus.com

adjective

endowed with sensation; having perception through the senses.

readily or excessively affected by external agencies or influences.

having acute mental or emotional sensibility; aware of and responsive to the feelings of others.

easily pained, annoyed, etc.

pertaining to or connected with the senses or sensation.

Physiology. having a low threshold of sensation or feeling.

responding to stimuli, as leaves that move when touched.

highly responsive to certain agents, as photographic plates, films, or paper.

affected or likely to be affected by a specified stimulus (used in combination): price-sensitive markets.

involving work, duties, or information of a highly secret or delicate nature, especially in government: a sensitive position in the State Department.

requiring tact or caution; delicate; touchy: a sensitive topic.

constructed to indicate, measure, or be affected by small amounts or changes, as a balance or thermometer.

Radio. easily affected by external influences, especially by radio waves.

noun

a person who is sensitive.

a person with psychic powers; medium.

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Origin of sensitive

1350–1400; <Medieval Latin sēnsitīvus, irregular formation on Latin sēns-, past participle stem of sentīre to sense (see -ive); replacing Middle English sensitif(e) <Middle French sensitif, sensitive<Medieval Latin, as above

OTHER WORDS FROM sensitive

sen·si·tive·ly, adverbnon·sen·si·tive, adjectivenon·sen·si·tive·ly, adverbnon·sen·si·tive·ness, noun

ul·tra·sen·si·tive, adjectiveul·tra·sen·si·tive·ly, adverbun·sen·si·tive, adjectiveun·sen·si·tive·ly, adverbun·sen·si·tive·ness, noun

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

How to use sensitive in a sentence

But a stability of purpose peculiar to unsensitive and egoistic young men kept Hazlitt to his quest.
Erik Dorn|Ben Hecht
What he wanted he went after with a cold and unsensitive directness that no newspapers had been courageous enough to characterise.
The Streets of Ascalon|Robert W. Chambers
The third was achieved by a boy of three,—a child, in general, unsensitive to music.
Here and Now Story Book|Lucy Sprague Mitchell
The organ of taste is thought to be very unsensitive, and the sense of touch but slightly developed.
Every Boy's Book: A Complete Encyclopdia of Sports and Amusements|Various

Jean-sans-terre was not so unsensitive to praise as he was to blame.
Holiday Tales|Florence Wilford

British Dictionary definitions for sensitive

sensitive

/ (ˈsɛnsɪtɪv) /

adjective

having the power of sensation

responsive to or aware of feelings, moods, reactions, etc

easily irritated; delicatesensitive skin

affected by external conditions or stimuli

easily offended

of or relating to the senses or the power of sensation

capable of registering small differences or changes in amounts, quality, etca sensitive instrument

photog having a high sensitivitya sensitive emulsion

connected with matters affecting national security, esp through access to classified information

(of a stock market or prices) quickly responsive to external influences and thus fluctuating or tending to fluctuate

Derived forms of sensitive

sensitively, adverbsensitiveness, noun

Word Origin for sensitive

C14: from Medieval Latin sēnsitīvus, from Latin sentīre to feel

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

sensitive

Origin of sensitive

OTHER WORDS FROM sensitive

Words related to sensitive

How to use sensitive in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sensitive

Derived forms of sensitive

Word Origin for sensitive