SENSITIVE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does sensitive mean? 

• SENSITIVE (noun)
  The noun SENSITIVE has 1 sense:

1. someone who serves as an intermediary between the living and the dead

  Familiarity information: SENSITIVE used as a noun is very rare.

• SENSITIVE (adjective)
  The adjective SENSITIVE has 5 senses:

1. responsive to physical stimuli

2. being susceptible to the attitudes, feelings, or circumstances of others

3. able to feel or perceive

4. hurting

5. of or pertaining to classified information or matters affecting national security

  Familiarity information: SENSITIVE used as an adjective is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SENSITIVE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Someone who serves as an intermediary between the living and the dead

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

medium; sensitive; spiritualist

Context example:

he consulted several mediums

Hypernyms ("sensitive" is a kind of...):

psychic (a person apparently sensitive to things beyond the natural range of perception)

• SENSITIVE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Responsive to physical stimuli

Context example:

sensitive to light

Similar:

highly sensitive (readily affected by various agents)

reactive; responsive (reacting to a stimulus)

nociceptive (caused by or in response to pain)

radiosensitive (sensitive to radiation)

light-sensitive; photosensitive (sensitive to visible light)

irritable (abnormally sensitive to a stimulus)

excitable; irritable (capable of responding to stimuli)

erogenous (sensitive to sexual stimulation)

delicate (of an instrument or device; capable of registering minute differences or changes precisely)

Also:

sensible; sensitive (able to feel or perceive)

responsive (readily reacting or replying to people or events or stimuli; showing emotion)

susceptible ((often followed by 'of' or 'to') yielding readily to or capable of)

Attribute:

sensitiveness; sensitivity (the ability to respond to physical stimuli or to register small physical amounts or differences)

Antonym:

insensitive (not responsive to physical stimuli)

Derivation:

sense (perceive by a physical sensation, e.g., coming from the skin or muscles)

sense (detect some circumstance or entity automatically)

sensitiveness (the ability to respond to physical stimuli or to register small physical amounts or differences)

sensitivity ((physiology) responsiveness to external stimuli; the faculty of sensation)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Being susceptible to the attitudes, feelings, or circumstances of others

Context example:

sensitive to the local community and its needs

Similar:

alive ((followed by 'to' or 'of') aware of)

feisty; huffy; thin-skinned; touchy (quick to take offense)

oversensitive (unduly sensitive or thin-skinned)

Also:

responsive (readily reacting or replying to people or events or stimuli; showing emotion)

Attribute:

sensitiveness; sensitivity (sensitivity to emotional feelings (of self and others))

Antonym:

insensitive (deficient in human sensibility; not mentally or morally sensitive)

Derivation:

sense (comprehend)

sense (become aware of not through the senses but instinctively)

sensitiveness (the ability to respond to affective changes in your interpersonal environment)

sensitiveness (sensitivity to emotional feelings (of self and others))

sensitivity (the ability to respond to affective changes in your interpersonal environment)

sensitivity (sensitivity to emotional feelings (of self and others))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Able to feel or perceive

Synonyms:

sensible; sensitive

Context example:

the more sensible parts of the skin

Also:

aware; cognisant; cognizant ((sometimes followed by 'of') having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception)

conscious (knowing and perceiving; having awareness of surroundings and sensations and thoughts)

sensitive (responsive to physical stimuli)

Derivation:

sense (perceive by a physical sensation, e.g., coming from the skin or muscles)

sensitiveness ((physiology) responsiveness to external stimuli; the faculty of sensation)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Hurting

Synonyms:

raw; sensitive; sore; tender

Context example:

the tender spot on his jaw

Similar:

painful (causing physical or psychological pain)

Derivation:

sensitivity ((physiology) responsiveness to external stimuli; the faculty of sensation)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Of or pertaining to classified information or matters affecting national security

Similar:

classified (official classification of information or documents; withheld from general circulation)

 Context examples 

The patients were also less sensitive to certain forms of touch.

(“Sixth sense” may be more than just a feeling, NIH)

As an antiestrogen, this agent may inhibit the growth-stimulating effects of estrogen on estrogen-sensitive tumor cells.

(Medroxyprogesterone, NCI Thesaurus)

Now, Saturn will be moving off this sensitive angle of your chart, and you will be able to relax.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Those with a nerve injury were more sensitive to touch on their hindpaws than the sham controls.

(Opioid Pain Relievers May Prolong Pain, NIH)

A drug that makes cancer cells more sensitive to radiation and is also used as a diagnostic agent to determine how fast cancer cells grow.

(Broxuridine, NCI Dictionary)

It also prevents the growth of blood vessels needed for tumors to grow and may make tumor cells more sensitive to other anticancer drugs.

(Belinostat, NCI Dictionary)

People who have allergies often are sensitive to more than one thing.

(Allergy, NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

Aniridia usually affects both eyes and causes other eye problems, including being sensitive to light and loss of vision.

(Aniridia, NCI Dictionary)

It also makes cancer cells more sensitive to anticancer drugs.

(AEG35156, NCI Dictionary)

Why use heat-sensitive instruments when looking for ice?

(NASA's Treasure Map for Water Ice on Mars, NASA)