Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Excessively sensitive or reactive: Describes something or someone that reacts extremely strongly or quickly to stimuli, influences, or conditions, often more than is normal or necessary.
   • Having an extreme allergic susceptibility: Specifically refers to having a very high or abnormal sensitivity, especially to a particular allergen or agent.

Usage and Examples

• General Sensitivity:

  • Her skin is supersensitive to sunlight, so she must wear strong sunscreen.
  • The device is supersensitive and can detect the slightest vibrations.

• Medical/Allergic Context:

  • He is supersensitive to penicillin and has a severe reaction to it.
  • The patient's supersensitive immune system overreacts to common allergens.

Advanced Usage

• Technical/Scientific Context: Used to describe instruments, materials, or biological systems with an extremely high degree of responsiveness.
  • The supersensitive microphone picked up whispers from across the room.
  • Researchers developed a supersensitive assay to detect trace amounts of the virus.

Variants and Related Words

• Hypersensitive (adj): Often used interchangeably with "supersensitive," especially in medical contexts to denote abnormal sensitivity.
• Supersensitivity (n): The state or condition of being supersensitive.
  • The supersensitivity of his hearing made loud environments painful.

Synonyms

• Oversensitive
• Hypersensitive
• Acute
• Tender (in some contexts, e.g., tender skin)

Antonyms

• Insensitive
• Numb
• Unresponsive
• Tough (in some contexts)

Related Phrases/Idioms

(Note: "Supersensitive" itself is not commonly used in fixed idioms. However, it can be part of descriptive phrases.) - Supersensitive to criticism: Reacting very strongly to negative feedback. - After the failed project, he became supersensitive to criticism from his colleagues. - Supersensitive nerve endings: A descriptive phrase in biology or medicine. - The burn caused supersensitive nerve endings, making the lightest touch agonizing.

Adjective

1. having an allergy or peculiar or excessive susceptibility (especially to a specific factor)
   • allergic children
   • hypersensitive to pollen