[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 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