sensitive
adjective
sen·si·tive
| \ ˈsen(t)-sə-tiv
, ˈsen(t)s-təv\
, ˈsen(t)s-təv\
Definition of sensitive
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: sensory sense 2
2a
: receptive to sense impressions
b
: capable of being stimulated or excited by external agents (such as light, gravity, or contact)
sensitive cells
3
: highly responsive or susceptible: such as
a(1)
: easily hurt or damaged
especially
: easily hurt emotionally
(2)
: delicately aware of the attitudes and feelings of others
b
: excessively or abnormally susceptible : hypersensitive
sensitive to egg protein
c
: readily fluctuating in price or demand
sensitive commodities
d
: capable of indicating minute differences : delicate
sensitive scales
e
: readily affected or changed by various agents (such as light or mechanical shock)
a photographic emulsion sensitive to red light
f
: highly radiosensitive
4a
: concerned with highly classified government information or involving discretionary authority over important policy matters
sensitive documents
b
: calling for tact, care, or caution in treatment : touchy
a sensitive issue like race relations
5
: having or showing concern for a specified matter
—usually used in combination a price-sensitive customerenvironmentally sensitive policies
sensitive
nounDefinition of sensitive (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: a person having occult or psychical abilities
2
: a sensitive person
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Synonyms for sensitive
Synonyms: Adjective
acute, delicate, fine, keen, perceptive, quick, sharp
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Examples of sensitive in a Sentence
Adjective
He acts like a tough guy, but he's really very sensitive to criticism. I found him to be a sensitive and caring person.Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Many of these marine organisms are sensitive to even slight or short-lived changes in temperature. — Alejandra Borunda, National Geographic, "Ocean warming, explained," 14 Aug. 2019 One of the most prominent combatants is Robin DiAngelo, a white workplace-diversity trainer, available to help organizations teach their employees to be more sensitive to race. — Kelefa Sanneh, The New Yorker, "The Fight to Redefine Racism," 12 Aug. 2019 As a probate court judge who helped build a mental-health docket frequently cited as a national model, Kazen also is sensitive to the way in which some politicians unfairly equate mental illness with violent behavior. — Gilbert Garcia, ExpressNews.com, "Texas lawmakers should close 2013 gun loophole," 10 Aug. 2019 Children, the elderly and people with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or heart disease are particularly sensitive to inhaling wildfire smoke, which is a mix of gases and fine particles. — Annie Zak, Anchorage Daily News, "Coughing, breathing issues, sore eyes: As wildfire smoke cloaks Anchorage, people feel its effects," 24 Aug. 2019 Vibe Harsløf is a Danish jewelry designer whose antennae are especially sensitive to vibrations coming from underground subcultures. — Vogue, "Danish Jewelry Designer Vibe Harsløf’s Riffs on the Omnipresent EarPod are Something to Shout About," 23 Aug. 2019 Shares in technology companies and semiconductor makers, both of which have been especially sensitive to signs that the trade fight between China and the United States was worsening, tumbled. — Matt Phillips, New York Times, "S&P, Dow and Nasdaq Slide After China Tariff Threat and Trump Twitter Response," 23 Aug. 2019 To make matters worse, long-term bonds are riskier because their prices are more sensitive to interest rates. — Allison Schrager, Quartz, "The case for a 100-year US government bond," 22 Aug. 2019 Smooth out the rough edges by being sensitive to nuance and employing diplomacy. — Tribune Content Agency, oregonlive.com, "Horoscope for Aug. 22, 2019: Happy birthday Kristen Wiig; Leo, whip up something exciting," 22 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The Quiet Zone is a place where mystic scientists, gun-loving locals, and electromagnetic hyper-sensitives all live amongst one another, and Drake Equation chronicles their lives in rich detail. — Laura Mallonee, WIRED, "Want to Hunt Aliens? Go to West Virginia's Low-Tech 'Quiet Zone'," 3 May 2018 Growing sensitives over language extend to politics as well. — Michael Holtz, The Christian Science Monitor, "Amid anniversary protests, fears that Hong Kong is 'just another mainland city'," 3 July 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sensitive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for sensitive
sensitive
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of sensitive
: easily upset by the things that people think or say about you
: likely to cause people to become upset
: aware of and understanding the feelings of other people
See the full definition for sensitive in the English Language Learners Dictionary