responsive

adjective

Definition of responsivenext
1
as in sensitive
producing or exhibiting a desired reaction to The students were extremely responsive to the lecture and even stayed late to ask questions of the presenter. Much to the doctor's surprise, the patient was not responsive to the therapy.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in prepared
inclined to act or respond readily or without hesitation He bought a car with responsive steering. The small business is always responsive to customer needs.

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 responsive Serve and return interactions are interactions that involve responsive back-and-forth exchanges between a baby or young child and a caring adult. — Miranda Rake, Parents, 9 July 2026 Puma's Ignite Elevate 2 provides responsive foam and a waterproof, breathable upper with stability features. — Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 Toshiba 55-inch 4K Smart TV Deal The Toshiba 55C350 4K TV drops input lag to zero with a responsive Game Mode. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 7 July 2026 Handling is responsive and precise during turns, which is exactly what drivers need from such a small and mighty vehicle. — Charles Singh, USA Today, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for responsive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for responsive
  1. sensitive
  2. prepared
  3. reactive
  4. quick
  5. excitable
  6. alert
Adjective
  • The autonomous coding tool can send sensitive information to a remote server without a user’s consent, the statement said in Chinese, according to a CNBC translation.
    — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 8 July 2026
  • The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the possible crash.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
Definition of sensitive
Adjective
  • At precisely the moment admissions have become more subjective, professors across the country are increasingly expressing concern that many students are arriving at college less prepared for college-level work than previous generations.
    — Scott White, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • But other council members were not prepared to put it on the ballot.
    — Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of prepared
Adjective
  • Your dog is reactive or aggressive around other animals or strangers.
    — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 9 July 2026
  • For many managers, their day is consumed by administrative tasks, mountains of paperwork, and reactive problem-solving.
    — Dr. Samantha Madhosingh, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of reactive
Adjective
  • There’s also a mill — a 40,000-square foot workshop space — a cafe, plenty of parking and quick access to area freeways.
    — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • The hot mixing allowed for fast setting times and therefore quick production of concrete.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 July 2026
Definition of quick
Adjective
  • The studio released the official trailer for the film on Thursday, showing Edgar-Jones as the formidable Elinor Dashwood; Esmé Creed-Miles as her excitable sister, Marianne; and Bodhi Rae Breathnach as their youngest sibling, Margaret.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2026
  • The excitable kids had been instructed several times to give Bryce Young room.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 1 June 2026
Definition of excitable
Adjective
  • Boating rules Sacramento’s local waterways are an valuable resource for boat-lovers in the area, but changing water conditions and strong currents require operators to stay alert.
    — Haley Parsley July 9, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2026
  • Some also face rarer conditions that affect not only nighttime sleep but also the ability to stay awake and alert during the day.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 8 July 2026
Definition of alert

Browse Nearby Words

responsibleness
responsive
responsiveness
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Responsive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/responsive. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on responsive

Nglish: Translation of responsive for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of yaw

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All