hypersensitive

adjective

hy·​per·​sen·​si·​tive ˌhī-pər-ˈsen(t)-s(ə-)tiv 

1

: excessively or abnormally sensitive

2

: abnormally susceptible physiologically to a specific agent (such as a drug or antigen)

hypersensitiveness noun

hypersensitivity

ˌhī-pər-ˌsen(t)-sə-ˈti-və-tē 

noun

Examples of hypersensitive in a Sentence

She's hypersensitive about her past.

People who are hypersensitive to the chemical may have violent reactions even to small amounts.

Recent Examples on the Web

This would include active eczema, psoriasis flare ups, or people with hypersensitive skin. —Georgia Day, Vogue, 13 Nov. 2025

Jean-Michel Beuriot, Philippe Richelle Between 2001 and 2023, the award-winning saga Amours Fragiles told the story of Martin Mahner, a young, hypersensitive German, through the rise of Nazism and the war years. —Ernesto Lechner, HollywoodReporter, 13 Nov. 2025

Ruling Out Medical Causes Violet, from Ontario, Canada, was tested for celiac disease (CD), a lifelong autoimmune disorder in which the small intestine is hypersensitive to gluten, interfering with nutrient absorption and sometimes affecting growth. —Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025

With odds this one-sided, the market is hypersensitive to how the Fed frames the cut. —Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 29 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for hypersensitive

• photosensitive
• insensitive
• radiosensitive
• sensitive

Kids Definition

hypersensitive

adjective

hy·​per·​sen·​si·​tive ˌhī-pər-ˈsen(t)-sət-iv 

-ˈsen(t)-stiv

: very sensitive especially to an abnormal degree

hypersensitiveness noun

Medical Definition

hypersensitive

adjective

hy·​per·​sen·​si·​tive ˌhī-pər-ˈsen(t)-sət-iv, -ˈsen(t)-stiv 

1

: excessively or abnormally sensitive

2

: abnormally susceptible physiologically to a specific agent (as a drug or antigen)

hypersensitiveness noun

hypersensitivity

-ˌsen(t)-sə-ˈtiv-ət-ē 

noun

plural hypersensitivities