Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Extremely responsive or reactive: Describes something that is easily affected, influenced, or changed by a specific agent, condition, or stimulus. It often implies a low threshold for reaction.
   • Easily detecting or registering small changes: Describes instruments, materials, or biological systems that can perceive minute differences or signals.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The laboratory uses a highly sensitive scale to measure minute changes in weight.
  • Her skin is highly sensitive to sunlight, so she must wear strong sunscreen.
  • The negotiations are highly sensitive to political developments in the region.

Advanced Usage

• Scientific/Technical Context: Often used to describe equipment, chemicals, or biological traits.
  • The new sensor is highly sensitive to temperature fluctuations.
• Emotional/Personal Context: Can describe a person who is very perceptive or easily affected emotionally, though this is a contextual extension of the core meaning.
  • He is highly sensitive to criticism.

Variants and Related Words

• Sensitivity (n): The quality or state of being sensitive.
  • The sensitivity of the device is remarkable.
• Hypersensitive (adj): Having abnormally high sensitivity; often used in medical or critical contexts.
  • He is hypersensitive to pollen.

Synonyms

• Acute: Extremely sharp or perceptive.
• Reactive: Tending to react readily.
• Responsive: Quick to respond or react.

Antonyms

• Insensitive: Not responsive to physical or emotional stimuli.
• Impervious: Not affected or influenced by something.

Related Phrases

• Highly sensitive to: The most common construction, followed by the agent of effect (e.g., light, pressure, opinion).
  • The film is highly sensitive to light.
• Of high sensitivity: A more formal variant, often used in technical descriptions.
  • This is a microphone of high sensitivity.

Adjective

1. readily affected by various agents
   • a highly sensitive explosive is easily exploded by a shock
   • a sensitive colloid is readily coagulated