sensitivity
gb/sˌɛnsɪtˈɪvɪti/ us/sˌɛnsɪtˈɪvɪti/
B2
Inglés
~ 6500
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Sustantivo
B2
entity
1
being easily hurt or moved
the quality of feeling things very strongly and getting hurt or upset easily
Patrón de uso:
[someone]'s sensitivity to [something]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse 'sensitivity' with 'sense' or 'sensation'. Use 'sensitivity' for the general quality (e.g., 'her sensitivity'), 'sense' for an ability (e.g., 'a sense of smell'), and 'sensation' for a feeling in the body (e.g., 'a burning sensation'). Another mistake is using the adjective *sensible* instead of *sensitive*. *Sensible* means 'reasonable', not 'easily hurt'.
Sinónimos
vulnerability (suggests openness to emotional hurt; can sound slightly more negative or serious than 'sensitivity')
|
sensitiveness (a formal or less common synonym; often used in similar contexts but sounds more old-fashioned)
Antónimos
insensitivity (describes not being emotionally affected or not caring about others' feelings)
Colocaciones
emotional sensitivity
|heightened sensitivity
|sensitivity to criticism
|sensitivity to rejection
|increased sensitivity
|sensitivity about [a topic]
Temas
emotions
|personality
|relationships
Ejemplos
- Her sensitivity to criticism makes it hard for her to read online comments.
- The movie explores a teenager's sensitivity during a difficult time in his life.
- Because of his sensitivity, he often takes casual remarks very personally.
- Therapy helped him manage his sensitivity to conflict in relationships.
- He admired her artistic sensitivity but worried about how easily she got hurt.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Her sensitivity to loud voices makes her cry easily.
- Because of his sensitivity, he feels sad when people speak sharply to him.
- Teenagers often have strong sensitivity about their appearance.
- His sensitivity to failure stops him from trying new things.
- The child shows great sensitivity when his parents argue.
Sustantivo
B2
entity
2
careful respect for feelings
the quality of seeing and respecting other people's feelings and needs, and acting with care
Patrón de uso:
show sensitivity to [someone/something]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes say 'he is very *polite* to other cultures' when they mean a deeper awareness and care. Use 'cultural sensitivity' or 'sensitivity to other cultures' for this idea, especially in academic or work contexts.
Sinónimos
tact (focuses more on the skill of saying or doing things in a careful, polite way, especially in difficult situations)
Antónimos
insensitivity (lack of care or concern for others' feelings or needs)
Colocaciones
show sensitivity
|great sensitivity
|cultural sensitivity
|emotional sensitivity
|sensitivity training
|sensitivity to others' needs
Temas
emotions
|social
|work
|relationships
|communication
Ejemplos
- The nurse handled the bad news with great sensitivity.
- Teachers need sensitivity to the different backgrounds of their students.
- He showed remarkable sensitivity in the way he spoke to the grieving family.
- Cultural sensitivity is essential when working with international clients.
- The manager praised her sensitivity to the team's workload and stress levels.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- She showed sensitivity when she listened quietly to her friend.
- We must have sensitivity to people who are different from us.
- Good doctors need both knowledge and sensitivity.
- They designed the ad with sensitivity to local culture.
- The company offers sensitivity training to help staff understand each other.
Sustantivo
B2
entity
3
strong reaction to physical stimuli
how strongly a part of the body or a sense reacts to things like touch, light, sound, or heat
Patrón de uso:
[someone]'s sensitivity to [light/sound/pain/etc.]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes say 'my skin is very *sensible*' instead of 'my skin is very sensitive' or 'I have skin sensitivity'. Remember: *sensitive* and *sensitivity* relate to easy reaction; *sensible* means 'reasonable'.
Sinónimos
susceptibility (more formal; often used in medical or scientific contexts to mean being easily affected by something)
Antónimos
tolerance (ability to accept or endure a physical stimulus (like pain, heat, or noise) without a strong reaction)
Colocaciones
skin sensitivity
|tooth sensitivity
|light sensitivity
|sensitivity to noise
|sensitivity to pain
|increased sensitivity
Temas
health
|body
|daily life
Ejemplos
- Many migraine sufferers report increased sensitivity to light and sound.
- Her skin sensitivity means she can only wear very soft fabrics.
- The dentist prescribed a special toothpaste for tooth sensitivity.
- After the surgery, she noticed a strange sensitivity to cold in her hands.
- Workers complained about their sensitivity to the constant background noise in the factory.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- His sensitivity to loud music gives him headaches.
- I have skin sensitivity, so this soap hurts my hands.
- The baby has a strong sensitivity to bright light.
- My tooth sensitivity is worse when I drink cold water.
- Due to her sensitivity to heat, she stays inside on hot days.
Sustantivo
B2
entity
4
allergic or adverse body reaction
a problem where your body does not accept a certain food, drink, or other substance and reacts badly to it
Patrón de uso:
[someone] has a sensitivity to [substance]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes call all such problems an 'allergy', but doctors often use 'sensitivity' or 'intolerance' for milder reactions. Use 'allergy' for strong immune reactions and 'sensitivity' for weaker but still unpleasant ones.
Sinónimos
intolerance (commonly used for food or drink; often suggests difficulty digesting rather than a classic allergy)
Antónimos
tolerance (ability to take a substance without a bad reaction)
Colocaciones
food sensitivity
|gluten sensitivity
|lactose sensitivity
|drug sensitivity
|develop a sensitivity to
|mild sensitivity
Temas
health
|medicine
|food
|food_drink
Ejemplos
- The test showed that she has a gluten sensitivity, not a full allergy.
- Some people develop a sensitivity to certain antibiotics over time.
- His skin sensitivity to nickel makes it hard for him to wear cheap jewelry.
- They removed dairy from his diet to see if a milk sensitivity was causing the rash.
- The label warns people with aspirin sensitivity not to take this product.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- She has a milk sensitivity and cannot drink normal milk.
- After the meal, he found out he had a food sensitivity.
- My friend has a gluten sensitivity and eats special bread.
- The doctor said my cough may be from a dust sensitivity.
- He developed a sensitivity to this medicine and must stop taking it.
Sustantivo
formal
C1
entity
5
delicate or politically risky nature
how delicate or easily dangerous a topic, situation, or information is, so people must be careful with it
Patrón de uso:
the sensitivity of [an issue/topic/information]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes say 'this is a very *sensible* topic' when they mean it is delicate. Use 'sensitive topic' or 'a topic with a lot of sensitivity', not 'sensible'.
Sinónimos
delicacy (formal; focuses on the need for careful treatment because something is easily damaged or may cause offense)
Antónimos
robustness (in this context, suggests that an issue or information can be handled openly without much risk)
Colocaciones
the sensitivity of the issue
|political sensitivity
|commercial sensitivity
|data sensitivity
|high sensitivity
|recognize the sensitivity
Temas
politics
|business
|communication
Ejemplos
- Due to the sensitivity of the negotiations, all meetings were held in private.
- The journalist was aware of the political sensitivity of the story.
- Because of commercial sensitivity, the company refused to share detailed sales figures.
- The report stressed the sensitivity of the subject for the local community.
- New rules aim to reflect the sensitivity of personal data in the digital age.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Because of the sensitivity of this topic, we should talk in private.
- He did not understand the political sensitivity of his comments.
- The manager knows the sensitivity of pay talks with staff.
- Due to the sensitivity of the information, only a few people can see it.
- We must respect the sensitivity of this question for many families.
Sustantivo
technical
C1
entity
6
how strongly a device responds
how well a machine or test can find or measure very small signals or changes
Patrón de uso:
the sensitivity of [a device/test/sensor]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse 'sensitivity' with 'sensibility' in technical writing. In science and technology, use 'sensitivity' for how well a device or test detects signals.
Sinónimos
responsiveness (general; can describe how quickly or strongly something reacts, but is less precise in technical contexts)
Antónimos
insensitivity (in technical use, suggests that a device or test does not react or detect small changes well)
Colocaciones
high sensitivity
|low sensitivity
|sensor sensitivity
|test sensitivity
|camera sensitivity
|adjust the sensitivity
Temas
science
|technology
|medicine
Ejemplos
- The new microphone offers much higher sensitivity at low volumes.
- By increasing the sensitivity of the sensor, the system can detect tiny movements.
- The camera's ISO setting controls its sensitivity to light.
- Researchers evaluated the sensitivity of the blood test for early-stage disease.
- Users can adjust the touchpad sensitivity in the settings menu.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- We can change the sensitivity of the touch screen in the app.
- This camera has good sensitivity to light in dark rooms.
- The lab improved the sensitivity of their test equipment.
- High sensitivity in the sensor helps find very small leaks.
- The doctor talked about the sensitivity of the new blood test.
Sustantivo
technical
C2
entity
7
ability of a test to find cases
in medical and other tests, how many people who really have a disease are correctly found by the test
Patrón de uso:
the sensitivity of [a diagnostic test]
Error frecuente:
Learners often mix up 'sensitivity' and 'specificity'. Remember: sensitivity is about how many sick people the test correctly finds; specificity is about how many healthy people it correctly says are healthy.
Sinónimos
true positive rate (technical term used in statistics; exactly defines this measure but may be less familiar to general readers)
Antónimos
specificity (in diagnostics, contrasts with sensitivity by measuring how well a test correctly identifies people without the condition)
Colocaciones
high sensitivity
|low sensitivity
|test sensitivity and specificity
|diagnostic sensitivity
|assess the sensitivity
Temas
medicine
|statistics
|science
|health
Ejemplos
- The screening tool has high sensitivity but relatively low specificity.
- Researchers calculated the sensitivity of the test based on data from 500 patients.
- Improving the sensitivity of early cancer tests could save many lives.
- Low sensitivity means that many true cases will be missed.
- The paper reports a sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 88%.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The doctor said the new test has high sensitivity for this disease.
- Low sensitivity means the test may miss sick people.
- They studied the sensitivity and specificity of the exam.
- Researchers want better sensitivity in tests for early cancer.
- The article explains the sensitivity of the blood test in simple words.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
sensitivity
AFI
GB/sˌɛnsɪtˈɪvɪti/
US/sˌɛnsɪtˈɪvɪti/
Sílabas y acento
sens - it - iv - ity (4 sílabas)
Stress on 3rd syllable (iv)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: sensitivity
- Plural: sensitivities, sensitivity
Familia de palabras
Forms
sensitivities
noun
Negative and opposite forms
Advanced or less common
hypersensitive
adjective
hypersensitivity
noun
desensitize
verb
desensitization
noun
Expresiones
cultural sensitivity
1/kˈʌlt͡ʃɚəl sˌɛnsɪtˈɪvɪti/
fixed phrase
awareness and respect for cultures
care and understanding about the ideas, customs, and feelings of people from other cultures
Ejemplos
- The company offers workshops on cultural sensitivity for all employees.
- Teachers need cultural sensitivity when working in multicultural classrooms.
- Lack of cultural sensitivity in the ad campaign led to public criticism.
light sensitivity
1/lˈaɪt sˌɛnsɪtˈɪvɪti/
fixed phrase
eyes hurt in bright light
a problem where bright light hurts your eyes or makes you feel sick or uncomfortable
Ejemplos
- After the concussion, he experienced severe light sensitivity.
- Migraine patients often report light sensitivity during an attack.
- Her light sensitivity means she always wears sunglasses outdoors.
sensitivity training
1/sˌɛnsɪtˈɪvɪti tɹˈeɪnɪŋ/
fixed phrase
course on respecting differences
a class or program that helps people learn to understand and respect other people's feelings, cultures, or identities
Ejemplos
- New employees must complete sensitivity training in their first three months.
- The company introduced sensitivity training after complaints about rude behavior.
- Sensitivity training can improve communication in diverse workplaces.
show sensitivity to
1/ʃˈoʊ sˌɛnsɪtˈɪvɪti tə/
fixed phrase
act with care for others' feelings
to behave in a kind and careful way because you understand another person's feelings or needs
Ejemplos
- She showed great sensitivity to the child's fear of hospitals.
- Politicians must show sensitivity to public opinion on this issue.
- Good leaders show sensitivity to the stress their teams are under.
skin sensitivity
1/skˈɪn sˌɛnsɪtˈɪvɪti/
fixed phrase
easily irritated skin
a problem where a person's skin reacts strongly or badly to things like soap, clothes, or cold air
Ejemplos
- People with skin sensitivity should avoid strong perfumes and dyes.
- Her skin sensitivity became worse in winter.
- The cream is designed for users with skin sensitivity.