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sen·si·tive Listen to audio/ˈsɛnsətɪv/ adjective
[more sensitive; most sensitive] 1 a : easily upset by the things that people think or say about you
a moody, sensitive teenager He acts like a tough guy, but he's really very sensitive to criticism.often + about She's painfully/overly sensitive about her looks. [=she cares very/too much about what people say or think about her looks] a sensitive soul [=a person who is easily hurt emotionally]opposite insensitive
b : likely to cause people to become upset
sensitive [=touchy] topics/issues a politically sensitive decision
2 a : aware of and understanding the feelings of other people
I found him to be a sensitive and caring person.often + to She was sensitive to the fears of her patients.opposite insensitive
b : having an understanding of something : aware of something — + to We are sensitive to the need to act quickly in this situation.
3 : easily affected by something in a way that is not pleasant or good : reacting to something in, on, or around you in a bad way
sensitive skinoften + to She is sensitive to pollen (in the air). My teeth are sensitive to cold foods. I am sensitive to wheat. [=I become ill when I eat wheat] Now that I'm older, I'm more sensitive to (the) cold. [=I feel colder in cold surroundings now than I did in the past]
4 : able to express thoughts and feelings through writing, music, dance, etc.
a sensitive poet/artist an exquisitely sensitive dance performance
5 technical a : able to sense very small changes in something
a highly sensitive device/instrument sensitive scales
b : changing in response to something
light-sensitive film = film that is sensitive to light
6 : needing to be handled in a careful or secret way in order to protect someone or something
highly sensitive information [=information that could be harmful if many people knew it; information that should be kept secret] sensitive financial data
— sen·si·tive·ly adverb
The problem was handled sensitively.

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