What does hypersensitive mean?
Word: Hypersensitive
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Hypersensitive means very easily upset or offended; also, reacting much more strongly than normal to something such as dust, light or a medicine.
Synonyms: touchy, thin-skinned
Antonyms: tough
Word origin: Made from a Greek prefix meaning 'over' joined to a word that goes back to Latin sentire, 'to feel'.
How do you spell hypersensitive?
Syllables: hy - per - sen - si - tive
Tricky part: Both soft s sounds are written with s, never c: hypersensitive, not hypersencitive.
Watch out for: hypersencitive, hypercensitive
Memory tip: Sense is spelt with an s, and so is every s sound in hypersensitive.
Hypersensitive in a sentence
Example 1: My grandfather is hypersensitive to dust, so we cover the books in plastic.
Example 2: Don't be hypersensitive; she was only joking about your new haircut.
Example 3: Some dogs are hypersensitive to the noise of fireworks on New Year's Eve.
Fun Fact
The touch-me-not plant, common in many warm countries, could be called hypersensitive: its leaves fold up within seconds of a light touch. Scientists call it Mimosa pudica.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
hypersens_ _ _ve
a) ita
b) iti
c) ati
d) eti
Show answer
b) iti. Sensitive has the vowel i on both sides of the t.
Word Tally
You get 2 marks for each correctly spelt word. How many marks will you get?
hypersensitive, sensation, sensable, sensational, sensery
a) 8
b) 10
c) 4
d) 6
Show answer
d) 6. Hypersensitive, sensation and sensational are right, so 3 words earn 6 marks; sensible ends in ible and sensory in ory.
Word Puzzle
Match each word with its antonym:
1. hypersensitive 2. bold 3. rigid a. thick-skinned b. flexible c. timid
a) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
b) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
c) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
d) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
Show answer
d) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b. A hypersensitive person is hurt by small things, a thick-skinned one shrugs them off; bold is the reverse of timid, and rigid of flexible.
Word Champ
Choose the correct word for the blank:
Ivan is ___ to criticism: even a gentle comment about his drawing upsets him for days.
a) hypersensitive
b) hydraulic
c) hypothetical
d) hyperactive
Show answer
a) hypersensitive. Being upset by the mildest comment is being hypersensitive; hyperactive is about having too much energy.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Rani is hypersensitive to noise. Which place would she find hardest to bear?
a) a quiet reading room
b) an empty classroom
c) a calm, shady garden
d) a busy railway station
Show answer
d) a busy railway station
2. Hypersensitive skin is most likely to react badly to ___
a) a quiet song
b) a cricket score
c) a strong soap
d) a library book
Show answer
c) a strong soap
