[more sen*si*tive; most sen*si*tive] 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 skin —often + 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