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
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
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
What used to be a politics of tolerance and inclusion is now seen—often rightly—as obsessed with identity, hypersensitive to offense, and incapable of self-criticism.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
Only 14 percent of people who reported being extremely hypersensitive to cold had varicose veins.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 15 Apr. 2025
IgE can bind to the surface of mast cells or basophils (types of white blood cells) and trigger hypersensitive reactions in response to allergens.
—Suchandrima Bhowmik, Health, 8 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for hypersensitive
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Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025
What used to be a politics of tolerance and inclusion is now seen—often rightly—as obsessed with identity, hypersensitive to offense, and incapable of self-criticism.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
Only 14 percent of people who reported being extremely hypersensitive to cold had varicose veins.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 15 Apr. 2025
IgE can bind to the surface of mast cells or basophils (types of white blood cells) and trigger hypersensitive reactions in response to allergens.
—Suchandrima Bhowmik, Health, 8 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for hypersensitive
Cite this Entry
“Hypersensitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypersensitive. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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