sensitive
sensitive — adjective
1. A person who is sensitive takes even mild criticism or teasing very hard — for e
A person who is sensitive takes even mild criticism or teasing very hard — for example, if a friend jokes about your hairstyle, you might stay upset for the rest of the day.
Renata is very sensitive and cries easily when people criticize her artwork.
sensitive + about + noun phrase expressing what triggers the feeling
Kabir avoided mentioning the breakup because his brother was still sensitive about it.
sensitive about + pronoun referring to a past event
The teacher handled the topic carefully, knowing some teenagers are sensitive about their appearance.
Making jokes about a colleague's accent can hurt them if they are sensitive about it.
sensitive + on + specific point
- extremely sensitive
- sensitive about
- sensitive to
- sensitive nature
- sensitive soul
- touchy
more informal; implies quickness to anger rather than sadness
- thin-skinned
informal; emphasizes how easily criticism penetrates
- vulnerable
broader — can refer to physical or emotional weakness
- thick-skinned
informal; opposite of easily upset
- tough
implies resilience rather than insensitivity
Grammar Patterns
sensitive + about + noun/pronoun
sensitive + to + noun
Usage Note
Commonly used in progressive structures ('He is being sensitive') when the reaction is happening right now.
Common Mistakes
2. A sensitive subject, document, or situation requires careful handling because it
A sensitive subject, document, or situation requires careful handling because it could embarrass people, offend them, or cause serious problems if mishandled — for example, discussing a colleague's salary is a sensitive topic at work.
The company's financial troubles are a sensitive matter that only senior staff may discuss.
sensitive matter — collocation for confidential or delicate business topics
The folder contains sensitive information about national security and is kept under lock.
sensitive information — common collocation for classified data
Adina knew religion was a sensitive topic at family dinners, so she changed the subject.
Hiring decisions are politically sensitive because they affect people's careers and morale.
politically sensitive — adverb + adjective pattern
- sensitive subject
- sensitive issue
- sensitive topic
- sensitive material
- sensitive data
- politically sensitive
- environmentally sensitive
- delicate
softer tone; suggests the need for tact rather than risk of offence
- controversial
stronger — implies public disagreement rather than personal embarrassment
- touchy
informal; often used for personal subjects people avoid
- safe
a safe topic causes no discomfort
- uncontroversial
no risk of upsetting anyone
Grammar Patterns
sensitive + noun (subject/issue/topic/matter)
politically/environmentally + sensitive
Usage Note
Frequently paired with adverbs such as 'politically', 'environmentally', 'culturally', or 'racially' to specify the kind of risk involved.
Common Mistakes
3. Being sensitive to other people means you notice and care about their emotions,
Being sensitive to other people means you notice and care about their emotions, needs, or problems — for example, a sensitive nurse can tell when a patient is anxious even before the patient speaks.
A good kindergarten teacher is sensitive to the emotional needs of each child.
sensitive to + the emotional needs of + someone
Élise is a sensitive friend who always notices when something is bothering you.
Leo's sensitive handling of his colleague's grief earned him everyone's respect.
sensitive handling + of + delicate situation
The novel is praised for its sensitive portrayal of life in a refugee camp.
sensitive portrayal — used in arts criticism
- sensitive to needs
- sensitive to feelings
- sensitive portrayal
- sensitive handling
- emotionally sensitive
- empathetic
more formal; emphasizes emotional understanding
- perceptive
focuses on the noticing aspect rather than the caring aspect
- thoughtful
broader — includes considerate actions, not just awareness
- insensitive
lacking awareness or concern for others' feelings
- oblivious
unaware; not necessarily uncaring
Grammar Patterns
sensitive + to + noun (needs/feelings/wishes)
sensitive + about + noun
Usage Note
This is a positive quality — unlike sense 1 (EASILY UPSET), which is a vulnerability, sense 3 describes empathy and attentiveness as strengths.
Common Mistakes
4. If a part of your body or a living thing is sensitive, it reacts strongly to phy
If a part of your body or a living thing is sensitive, it reacts strongly to physical things such as touch, light, heat, or chemicals — for example, sensitive skin turns red or itchy when it touches rough fabric.
Rachid's skin is so sensitive that even mild soap gives him a rash.
sensitive skin — very common collocation
A baby's gums are sensitive to hot liquids during the teething period.
sensitive to + noun phrase (physical trigger)
The mimosa plant's leaves are sensitive to touch and fold up immediately.
Minh's eyes are sensitive to bright sunlight, so she wears tinted lenses outdoors.
sensitive to + light / sunlight — common sensory trigger pattern
- sensitive skin
- sensitive teeth
- sensitive eyes
- sensitive to light
- sensitive to heat
- sensitive to touch
Grammar Patterns
sensitive + to + noun (light/heat/cold/touch/dust)
sensitive + noun (skin/teeth/eyes)
Usage Note
For allergic reactions, 'allergic to' is more specific than 'sensitive to'. This sense covers any strong physical response, not just allergies.
Common Mistakes
5. Sensitive equipment or instruments can detect, measure, or record extremely smal
Sensitive equipment or instruments can detect, measure, or record extremely small changes that ordinary devices would miss — for instance, a sensitive microphone picks up footsteps from three floors away.
The laboratory uses sensitive scales that can measure a single grain of salt.
sensitive scales — instrument capable of detecting tiny differences
Sensitive motion sensors in the museum detect even the slightest vibration from visitors.
sensitive motion sensors — specific instrument type
This microphone is sensitive enough to capture a whisper from across the room.
sensitive enough + to-infinitive pattern
The telescope's sensitive camera revealed stars too faint for ordinary observation.
- highly sensitive
- sensitive equipment
- sensitive instrument
- sensitive sensor
- sensitive detector
- sensitive enough
- insensitive
unable to detect small changes
- coarse
only able to detect large differences
Grammar Patterns
sensitive + instrument noun (scales/sensor/microphone/camera)
sensitive enough + to-infinitive
Usage Note
Often combined with 'highly' for emphasis ('highly sensitive equipment'). Not used for people — only for instruments, tools, and detection systems.
Common Mistakes
sensitive — noun
1. A sensitive is a person who claims to have special mental powers, such as the ab
A sensitive is a person who claims to have special mental powers, such as the ability to communicate with spirits of dead people or to see future events.
The village elders consulted a sensitive who claimed to hear messages from beyond the grave.
consult a sensitive — collocation for seeking paranormal guidance
Samir visited a sensitive in the hope of making contact with his late grandfather.
The Bristol Gazette ran a story about a sensitive who helped police locate a missing hiker in Dartmoor.
Mrs. Okonkwo visited a sensitive every month, though her husband remained skeptical about the visions.
- medium
the most common modern term for someone who channels spirits
- psychic
broader; includes those who read minds or predict the future
- clairvoyant
specifically claims to see future events
Grammar Patterns
the + sensitive
a + sensitive
Usage Note
This sense is falling out of everyday use; 'medium' or 'psychic' are more common in modern English.
2. A sensitive is someone whose feelings are easily hurt or who reacts emotionally
A sensitive is someone whose feelings are easily hurt or who reacts emotionally more than most people — often used in psychology or self-help contexts to describe a personality trait.
The support group was created for sensitives who struggle with harsh criticism at work.
sensitives — plural noun referring to a type of person
As a sensitive, Tamar feels overwhelmed by loud noises and crowded shopping malls.
The school made a quiet corner for sensitives who need breaks from the cafeteria noise.
sensitives — plural, used as a noun for a personality type
As a sensitive, Christopher finds that harsh criticism leaves him drained for an entire day.
- highly sensitive person
- a sensitive
- the sensitives
Grammar Patterns
the + sensitive
a + sensitive
sensitives + plural verb
Usage Note
Sometimes found in the phrase 'highly sensitive person' (HSP), a term used in psychology for people with heightened sensory and emotional responsiveness.
sensitive — suffix
1. This suffix forms adjectives from nouns, describing something that responds chem
This suffix forms adjectives from nouns, describing something that responds chemically or physically when a certain substance is present — for instance, 'lactose-sensitive' means your body reacts when you consume milk.
Many adults are lactose-sensitive and choose plant-based milk instead of dairy.
lactose-sensitive — reaction to a food substance
The doctor told Wren she is gluten-sensitive and should avoid wheat products.
The label warns that this sunscreen is for sun-sensitive skin and should be reapplied often.
sun-sensitive — compound with a physical agent
Some infants are dairy-sensitive and need special formula instead of regular milk.
- lactose-sensitive
- gluten-sensitive
- casein-sensitive
- sun-sensitive
- light-sensitive
Grammar Patterns
noun + -sensitive
Usage Note
Distinguish from 'allergic' — '-sensitive' usually means a mild to moderate reaction, not a life-threatening allergy.
2. Added to a noun to mean 'easily influenced or changed by a particular thing' — f
Added to a noun to mean 'easily influenced or changed by a particular thing' — for example, a price-sensitive customer shops around for the cheapest deal before buying anything.
The stock market is news-sensitive and often drops sharply on bad economic reports.
news-sensitive — market behaviour influenced by current events
Mei is pollen-sensitive, so she keeps her windows shut tight before spring bloom begins.
Cost-sensitive shoppers compare every price tag before putting anything in their basket.
cost-sensitive — compound in consumer behaviour context
The investment fund is risk-sensitive and avoids stocks that fluctuate wildly each quarter.
- price-sensitive
- cost-sensitive
- news-sensitive
- pollen-sensitive
- interest-rate-sensitive
Grammar Patterns
noun + -sensitive
Usage Note
More common in technical or business writing than in everyday conversation. 'Price-sensitive' is the most frequent compound in this sense.
Word family
- sensitivitynounB2
- sensitivelyadverbB2
- sensitizeverbC1
- oversensitiveadjectiveC1
- hypersensitiveadjectiveC1
- insensitiveadjectiveB2
- insensitivitynounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
All four words describe a person whose feelings are easily hurt, but they differ in tone and scope. 'Sensitive' is the most neutral and common — it can describe both emotional reactivity (sense 1) and desirable empathy (sense 3). 'Touchy' is informal and suggests quickness to anger or irritation about a specific subject: He is touchy about his height. 'Thin-skinned' is conversational and vivid, implying that criticism penetrates too easily: A politician cannot afford to be thin-skinned. 'Vulnerable' is broader and gentler; it describes a person in a fragile emotional state rather than a fixed personality trait: After losing her job, she felt vulnerable to any negative feedback. Use 'sensitive' for general emotional reactivity, 'touchy' for defensiveness about a specific topic, and 'vulnerable' when the person is going through a difficult period.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'sensitive' traces back to the Latin verb 'sentire', meaning 'to feel' or 'to perceive'. From this came the adjective 'sensitīvus' ('capable of feeling'), which passed through French 'sensitif' before entering English in the late 1300s. The original English meaning was simply 'having the power of sensation' — a physical capacity. Over time, the meaning expanded to include emotional sensitivity (first recorded around 1600), and later in the 1800s the sense of 'requiring careful handling' and 'high-precision measurement' developed as the word was applied to social situations and then to scientific instruments.