PERCEPTIVE Synonyms: 91 Similar and Opposite Words

perceptive

adjective

pər-ˈsep-tiv

Definition of perceptive

as in sensitive

able to sense slight impressions or differences due to their ability to rotate their ears, cats are very perceptive when it comes to pinpointing the source of a sound

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in wise

having or showing deep understanding and intelligent application of knowledge a perceptive therapist was able to discover what was really troubling the youth

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of perceptive Her eyes are perceptive, and her broad cheekbones taper to a delicate chin. — ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026 Some are scholarly, some deliciously indiscreet, all are perceptive in one way or another, and one plunges wholesale into obsession. — Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026 The conversations that the screening started showed Teng that people are becoming more perceptive to watching stories from Palestine. — Matt Minton, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026 Those may be the best possible conditions for appreciating Hughes’s lowest-grossing directorial effort, a flawed but perceptive look at the emotional rollercoaster of becoming a parent. — Al Shipley, SPIN, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for perceptive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for perceptive

Adjective

Another network had received the notification by late Saturday, according to a person familiar with the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share sensitive details.

— Miriam Waldvogel, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
Pictet seemed sensitive to the moral risk of going into Syria for the wrong reasons.

— Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of sensitive

Adjective

Street-wise, independent travelers wanting to immerse themselves in the city, and live like locals without any of the hassle.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
But the show already had a natural stopping point coming up that would be appropriate, storytelling-wise.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of wise

Adjective

Hafley didn’t say this, but keeping him out through the bye would seem prudent.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
In my view, a multinational AI task force of government and private sector experts from a range of disciplines would be more prudent than creating an AI Force, a quasi-military entity that would institutionalize AI’s worst impulses.

— Jason M. Blazakis, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of prudent

Adjective

Step Back OPay took off in 2019 in Nigeria with ambitions to be a super app that offered various features, including motorcycle taxi bookings, food deliveries, and quick loans.

— Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 12 Oct. 2026
The crusts are shaped using a crimping technique that, along with a quick baking time at high heat, leads to a unique, varied texture, the website states.

— Sadie Chafe, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of quick

Adjective

There are other things about this book that are insightful and poignant about the nature of being a human.

— Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026
After coming across our insightful articles in the course of their online research, potential clients are often inspired to reach out for trip-planning assistance.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of insightful

Adjective

In some parts of Africa, the obstacles to foreign investment are more acute.

— Jared Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2026
For instance, a patient might be admitted for diverticulitis (primary diagnosis), but found on post-op labs to have acute blood-loss anemia (secondary diagnosis).

— Leah Pierson, STAT, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of acute

Browse Nearby Words

perceptions

perceptive

perceptiveness

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Style

“Perceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perceptive. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of perceptive

adjective

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