defensiveness

/dɪˈfensɪvnəs/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈfensɪvnəs/ (ame, ipa)

defensiveness — noun

1. the habit of reacting to comments about you by arguing back or making excuses, b

1.名詞C1
釋義

the habit of reacting to comments about you by arguing back or making excuses, because you treat the comments as attacks rather than as honest feedback.

例句

Lucía noticed her brother's defensiveness whenever their mother mentioned his school grades.

noun: someone's defensiveness whenever + clause

The coach's defensiveness about the team's losses made honest discussion almost impossible.

collocation: defensiveness about + noun phrase

同義詞
反義詞

用法筆記

Subject is usually a person or a person's voice / tone / attitude. Frequently appears with prepositions 'about' (the topic) or 'in' (the channel: voice, tone, manner). Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is psychological — guarding the self against criticism — while sense 2 is physical protection against attack.

常見錯誤

❌She showed defensivenesses about the report.
✅She showed defensiveness about the report.
💡defensiveness is uncountable; no plural form.
❌His defensiveness to the question surprised me.
✅His defensiveness about the question surprised me.
💡the topic that triggers it follows 'about', not 'to'.

2. the quality, action, or stance of holding a position that guards a person, place

2.名詞C1
釋義

the quality, action, or stance of holding a position that guards a person, place, or country against physical attack.

例句

The general praised the defensiveness of the mountain village, which had repelled three earlier raids.

noun: the defensiveness of + place

Zuri argued that the country's defensiveness during the war saved thousands of civilian lives.

collocation: defensiveness during + period

同義詞
  • defence

    the everyday noun; far more common in this physical-protection sense

  • protection

    broader; covers any kind of shielding, not only military

反義詞
  • aggression

    actively attacking rather than guarding

  • offence

    in sport and military contexts, the attacking role

用法筆記

Used in formal or military contexts. Subject is typically a place, country, or military formation. Distinguish from sense 1: here the threat is physical and external, not verbal criticism. Less frequent than 'defence' in everyday formal writing.

常見錯誤

❌The soldiers were on defensiveness near the border.
✅The soldiers were on the defensive near the border.
💡for the stance phrase, use 'on the defensive', not 'on defensiveness'.