oversensitive

/ˌəʊvəˈsensɪtɪv/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌəʊvərˈsensɪtɪv/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌō-vər-ˈsen(t)-sə-tiv -ˈsen(t)s-təv/ (ame, mw)

oversensitive — adjective

  • oversensitivepositive
  • more oversensitivecomparative
  • most oversensitivesuperlative

1. feeling hurt, offended, or annoyed by small comments or actions that most people

1.形容詞C1
釋義

feeling hurt, offended, or annoyed by small comments or actions that most people would brush off.

例句

Mathieu became oversensitive to teasing after his classmates mocked his accent.

oversensitive to + noun (trigger)

Noor told her brother to stop being oversensitive about every joke at dinner.

oversensitive about + noun (topic)

同義詞
反義詞

文法句型

oversensitive to + noun

oversensitive about + noun

用法筆記

Often carries a mild criticism — the speaker thinks the reaction was bigger than the situation deserved. Frequently followed by 'to' (the trigger) or 'about' (the topic).

常見錯誤

❌She is oversensitive from every comment.
✅She is oversensitive to every comment.
💡use 'to' for the thing that triggers the reaction.
❌He was oversensitive for losing the match.
✅He was oversensitive about losing the match.
💡use 'about' for the topic, not 'for'.

2. of skin, an organ, a device, or a system — showing an unusually strong reaction

2.形容詞C1
釋義

of skin, an organ, a device, or a system — showing an unusually strong reaction to a substance, light, sound, or other input that most people, animals, or machines tolerate normally.

例句

Mira's skin is oversensitive to sunlight and burns within ten minutes.

oversensitive to + physical stimulus

Doctors found that Christopher's lungs were oversensitive to pollen and pet hair.

medical context, multiple triggers

同義詞
  • hypersensitive

    common in medical writing for allergic reactions

  • reactive

    neutral term used for skin, devices, and chemicals

  • allergic

    specifically about immune-system reactions

反義詞
  • tolerant

    of bodies or systems that handle the stimulus without trouble

文法句型

oversensitive to + noun (stimulus)

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense applies to bodies, organs, machines, or biological systems reacting to physical stimuli, not to people reacting to social or emotional events. Almost always followed by 'to' + the stimulus.

常見錯誤

❌My phone screen is oversensitive at criticism.
✅My phone screen is oversensitive to touch.
💡use 'to' plus the physical input.