hypersensitivity
hypersensitivity — noun
1. a medical state where the body's defense system overreacts to something harmless
a medical state where the body's defense system overreacts to something harmless, such as pollen, a food, or a drug, causing symptoms like rashes, swelling, or breathing trouble
Chidi was diagnosed with hypersensitivity to peanuts after a severe reaction at age six.
hypersensitivity to + [allergen]
The clinic tests children for hypersensitivity to common foods like eggs, milk, and wheat.
collocation: hypersensitivity to [food/substance]
Hiro's hypersensitivity to bee stings means he carries an emergency injection at all times.
Doctors suspect a drug hypersensitivity when a patient develops a rash after starting new medication.
Meera's skin rash turned out to be a hypersensitivity caused by the new laundry detergent.
- allergy
more common everyday term; covers the same medical idea but feels less clinical
- allergic reaction
names the event of the reaction itself, not the underlying condition
文法句型
hypersensitivity to + noun
用法筆記
Subject of the reaction is usually the immune system; the trigger is named with 'to' (hypersensitivity to nuts, to penicillin). Both countable (a hypersensitivity) and uncountable (hypersensitivity) uses are common in medical writing.
常見錯誤
hypersensitivity — adjective
1. reacting much more strongly than most people to feelings, criticism, sounds, or
reacting much more strongly than most people to feelings, criticism, sounds, or other everyday things, often in a way that makes daily life or relationships difficult
Lakan grew hypersensitive to any mention of his weight after years of teasing at school.
hypersensitive to + [topic that triggers emotional reaction]
The baby was hypersensitive to loud noises and would cry the moment a door slammed.
hypersensitive to + [sensory input]
Gabriel became hypersensitive to criticism during the final weeks before the exam.
Many teenagers are hypersensitive about the way they look in photos.
- oversensitive
near-equivalent; slightly less clinical-sounding and more common in everyday speech
- touchy
informal; suggests being easily offended on a specific topic
- thin-skinned
informal idiom; emphasises easily wounded feelings
- thick-skinned
informal; describes someone unaffected by criticism
- unflappable
calm regardless of provocation; positive connotation
文法句型
hypersensitive to + noun
用法筆記
Usually followed by 'to' (a stimulus or topic) or 'about' (a personal topic). Distinguish from sense 2: this sense describes emotional or sensory overreaction in everyday life, while sense 2 is a medical or biological reaction to a specific substance.
常見錯誤
2. of a person or their body, reacting in a strong physical way to a particular dru
of a person or their body, reacting in a strong physical way to a particular drug, food, chemical, or other substance, often with rashes, swelling, or breathing problems
Tomás is hypersensitive to penicillin and must wear a medical bracelet at all times.
hypersensitive to + [drug or allergen]
Patients who are hypersensitive to shellfish should avoid certain types of contrast dye for scans.
The doctor warned Noor that her skin was hypersensitive to the strong cleaning chemicals at work.
Some pets are hypersensitive to flea bites and develop large red patches across the back.
- allergic
much more common everyday word for the same idea; less formal
- tolerant
in medical sense: a body that does not react to the substance
文法句型
hypersensitive to + substance
用法筆記
Limited to clinical or biological contexts where the body produces an outsized physical response to a specific named substance. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense always names a drug, allergen, or chemical as the trigger, never a feeling or topic.