sensitiveadjective
uk/ˈsen.sɪ.tɪv/us/ˈsen.sə.t̬ɪv/sensitive adjective (UPSET)
B2 easily upset by the things people say or do, or causing people to be upset, embarrassed, or angry:
B2 A sensitive subject, situation, etc. needs to be dealt with carefully in order to avoid upsetting people:
More examples
- Don't be so sensitive!
- She's very sensitive about her weight.
- He's very sensitive to criticism of his children.
- I have to be very careful with what I say because she's so sensitive.
- If I'd known how sensitive she was I wouldn't have made the remark.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Becoming too excited and easily upset
- ant
- antsy
- at the end of your tether idiom 1
- at the end of your tether
- be in a whirl idiom
- explosive
- high-strung
- highly strung
- hot under the collar idiom
- hyper
- hyperactive
- hysteria
- hysterical
- shock
- squeamishly
- stomach
- tether
- thin-skinned
- touchy
- worked up
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sensitive adjective (KIND)
B2 understanding what other people need, and being helpful and kind to them:
More examples
- You have to be quite sensitive when you're dealing with adolescents.
- It needs someone a bit sensitive to handle this sort of thing.
- She's very sweet and sensitive.
- He's not the most sensitive of people.
- These are vulnerable people - you have to be sensitive to their needs.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Sympathy & compassion
- a good listener idiom
- a shoulder to cry on idiom
- aw
- bad/hard/tough luck! idiom
- better luck next time idiom
- cloud
- feel for sb
- fellow feeling
- go out to sb
- hard luck! idiom
- hard/tough cheese! idiom
- pity
- poor
- relate
- relate to sb
- sad
- sensitivity
- shoulder
- solace
- understanding
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sensitive adjective (REACTING EASILY)
B2 easily influenced, changed, or damaged, especially by a physical activity or effect:
B2 Sensitive equipment is able to record small changes:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Reacting and responding
- backlash
- bite
- bite back (at sb/sth)
- chain reaction
- counteract
- greet
- knob
- react
- reactive
- recoil
- reflexive
- reflexively
- respond
- response
- responsive
- rise
- strike
- wake
- wake (sb) up
- worm
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