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Showing results for oversensitive. Search instead for oversensiti.
Definitions

oversensitive

[oh-ver-sen-si-tiv] / ˈoʊ vərˈsɛn sɪ tɪv /
ADJECTIVE
irritable
Synonyms
STRONGEST
annoyed contentious exasperated fractious petulant prickly resentful surly testy
WEAK
bearish brooding cantankerous carping choleric complaining crabbed cross crotchety disputatious dissatisfied dyspeptic easily offended fiery fretful fretting gloomy grouchy grumbling hasty hot huffy hypercritical ill-humored irascible moody morose out of humor peevish plaintive querulous quick-tempered sensitive snappy snarling tense touchy
Antonyms
STRONGEST
happy pleasant
WEAK
cheerful nice
ADJECTIVE
sensitive
Synonyms
STRONGEST
conscious delicate emotional hypersensitive keen nervous perceptive precise receptive responsive susceptible tense touchy tricky unstable
STRONG
acute feeling fine knowing psychic seeing understanding
WEAK
cognizant easily affected emotionable high-strung hung up impressible irritable perceiving precarious reactive sensatory sensile sensorial sensory sentient supersensitive ticklish touchy feely tuned-in turned on to umbrageous wired
Antonyms
STRONGEST
calm ignorant imprecise insensitive laid-back loose strong unaware unresponsive unsusceptible
WEAK
heartless impassive indifferent numb thick-skinned unfeeling
ADJECTIVE
susceptive
Synonyms
WEAK
acute cognizant conscious delicate easily affected emotionable emotional feeling fine high-strung hung up hypersensitive impressible impressionable irritable keen knowing nervous perceiving perceptive precarious precise psychic reactive receptive responsive seeing sensatory sensible sensile sensorial sensory sentient supersensitive susceptible tense ticklish touchy touchy feely tricky tuned-in turned on to umbrageous understanding unstable wired
ADJECTIVE
tender
Synonyms
STRONGEST
aching bruised delicate inflamed raw
STRONG
acute irritated sensitive smarting
WEAK
hypersensitive thin-skinned ticklish touchy
Antonyms
STRONGEST
healthy
WEAK
OK rough tough unpained
ADJECTIVE
thin-skinned
Synonyms
WEAK
delicate easily hurt easily offended hypersensitive sensitive soft touchy ultrasensitive vulnerable
ADJECTIVE
touchy
Synonyms
STRONGEST
delicate dicey hypersensitive jumpy precarious risky sensitive testy ticklish tricky uptight volatile
WEAK
bad-tempered bundle of nerves cantankerous captious choleric crabbed cranky cross grouchy grumpy hazardous irascible irritable mean ornery peevish perturbable pettish petulant querulous quick-tempered splenetic surly temperamental thin-skinned unpredictable unsafe wired up wound-up
Antonyms
STRONG
calm collected easy easygoing insensitive laid-back unflappable

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“It’s an oversensitive dopamine response that leads to varied feelings, ” says therapist and author Marissa Zwetow.

From Slate • Mar. 15, 2026

But we don't know why some people have an oversensitive nervous system - and why it reacts to some things and not others.

From BBC • May 31, 2025

According to study leader Gregory Barton, UC Berkeley professor of molecular and cell biology, identifying these mutations could help doctors deliver a personalized treatment to patients with oversensitive TLRs and, in particular, oversensitive TLR7 receptors.

From Science Daily • May 23, 2024

“The result today is, for some people, that our immune systems are oversensitive, and sometimes they turn on themselves.”

From Seattle Times • Sep. 24, 2023

Also, he was Jewish, and although Lawrence was not an anti-Semite, he could be oversensitive to ethnic distinctions, possibly because of his upbringing in an ethnically homogenous rural community.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik