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

For most of her life, Tracy struggled with being late, procrastination and being hypersensitive to criticism. —Daliah Singer, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 July 2025

The first tentative steps by towards beginning a race — Fortune created a campaign committee with no public announcement or sign of private outreach to political players — might have gone unnoticed in other years, but Democrats are hypersensitive this cycle about potential intra-party challenges. —Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 3 July 2025

Later, many grew hypersensitive to their environments, triggered by foods, fragrances, exhaust, and cleaning agents that hadn’t bothered them before. —Kate Raphael, Discover Magazine, 23 June 2025

Lee was an editor, writer, ringleader and often the initial spark for a new character: What about a blind lawyer who fights crime using his other hypersensitive senses and was kind of a daredevil? —Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 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