Tra từ sensitive - Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

sen·si·tive BrE [ˈsensətɪv] NAmE [ˈsensətɪv] adjective

TO PEOPLE'S FEELINGS
1. aware of and able to understand other people and their feelings
•a sensitive and caring man
•~ to sth She is very sensitive to other people's feelings.
Opp: ↑insensitive

TO ART/MUSIC/LITERATURE
2. able to understand art, music and literature and to express yourself through them
•an actor's sensitive reading of the poem
•a sensitive portrait

EASILY UPSET
3. easily offended or upset
• You're far too sensitive.
•~ about sth He's very sensitive about his weight.
•~ to sth She's very sensitive to criticism.
Opp: ↑insensitive

INFORMATION/SUBJECT
4. that you have to treat with great care because it may offend people or make them angry or embarrassed
• Health care is a politically sensitive issue.
• That's a sensitive area.

TO COLD/LIGHT/FOOD, ETC.
5. reacting quickly or more than usual to sth
•sensitive areas of the body
•~ to sth My teeth are very sensitive to cold food.
• The eyes of some fish are acutely sensitive to light.
Opp: ↑insensitive

TO SMALL CHANGES
6. ~ (to sth) able to measure very small changes
•a sensitive instrument
• The eyes can be a sensitive indicator of health.
• (figurative) The Stock Exchange is very sensitive to political change.
Opp: ↑insensitive
see hit/touch a (raw/sensitive) nerve at ↑nerve _n.
Derived Word: ↑sensitively

Word Origin:
late Middle English (in the sense ‘sensory’): from Old French sensitif, -ive or medieval Latin sensitivus, formed irregularly from Latin sentire ‘feel’. The current senses date from the early 19th cent.

Thesaurus:
sensitive [sensitive sensitively] adj.
1. (approving)
•He's very sensitive to other people's feelings.
sympathetic • • understanding • • gentle • • compassionate • • humane • • soft •
Opp: insensitive
sensitive/sympathetic/understanding/gentle/compassionate towards sb
a sensitive/sympathetic/gentle/compassionate/humane manner/man
(in) a sensitive/sympathetic/gentle/compassionate/humane way
2. (sometimes disapproving)
•You're far too sensitive.
often disapproving touchy • |BrE, informal, often disapproving prickly •
sensitive/touchy/prickly about sth
Which word? Sb who is sensitive or touchy is likely to get upset or to cry. Sb who is prickly is more likely to be aggressive than to cry.
3.
•Her health is a sensitive issue.
delicate • • awkward • • problematic • • emotive • |informal tricky •
a/an sensitive/delicate/awkward/problematic/tricky matter/situation
a/an sensitive/delicate/awkward/emotive/tricky question/subject
the sensitive/delicate/problematic/emotive nature of sth

Example Bank:
•Her experiences had made her sensitive to other people's troubles.
•Her eyes are very sensitive to light.
•Horses are very sensitive to their riders' moods.
•It is not known how the Russians obtained such potentially sensitive information.
•Teenagers are often very sensitive about their appearance.
•The bat's hearing is remarkably sensitive.
•The equipment is highly sensitive.
•The information was deemed too sensitive to be broadcast.
•The probe is sensitive enough to detect the presence of a single microbe.
•These drugs can make skin extremely sensitive to sunlight.
•a deeply sensitive, caring man
•a somewhat sensitive question
•an extremely sensitive question
•commercially sensitive information
•culturally sensitive policies
•sensitive to the slightest movement
•this highly sensitive issue
•He's depicted as an insecure and sensitive soul.
•He's very sensitive about his weight.
•I think they handled the situation in a sensitive way.
•It might be better to avoid such a sensitive topic.
•Nuclear power remains a very sensitive issue in the Netherlands.
•She is currently involved in highly sensitive negotiations.
•She is very sensitive to other people's feelings.
•She's acutely sensitive to criticism.
•This type of situation requires a sensitive approach by doctors.
•You're far too sensitive.
•a sensitive reading of the poem