different between sensitive vs attentive

English

Alternative forms

• sensative (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle French sensitif, from Medieval Latin sensitivus.

Pronunciation

• (US, UK) enPR: s?n's?t?v, IPA^(key): /?s?ns?t?v/

Adjective

sensitive (comparative more sensitive, superlative most sensitive)

1. Having the faculty of sensation; pertaining to the senses.
2. Responsive to stimuli.
3. (of a person) Easily offended, upset or hurt.

4. (of an issue, topic, etc.) Capable of offending, upsetting or hurting.

5. Meant to be concealed or kept secret.

6. (of an instrument) Accurate; able to register small changes in some property.
7. (archaic) Having paranormal abilities that can be controlled through mesmerism.

Synonyms

• tender
• nesh
• precise
• compassionate
• caring
• classified
• aware

Antonyms

• insensitive
• nonsensitive
• resistant
• stoic
• uncaring

Hyponyms

• hypersensitive
• light-sensitive

Derived terms

Related terms

• sense

Translations

Noun

sensitive (plural sensitives)

1. A person with a paranormal sensitivity to something that most cannot perceive.
   • 2003, Frederic W.H. Myers, Human Personality and Its Survival of Bodily Death Part 2

     Swedenborg was one of the leading savants of Europe; it would be absurd to place any of our sensitives on the same intellectual level.

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s??.si.tiv/

Adjective

sensitive

1. feminine singular of sensitif

Noun

sensitive f (plural sensitives)

1. sensitive plant (Mimosa pudica)

Further reading

• “sensitive” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• investies

Italian

Adjective

sensitive

1. feminine plural of sensitivo

Anagrams

• estensivi, intessevi

Latin

Adjective

s?nsit?ve

1. vocative masculine singular of s?nsit?vus

Norwegian Bokmål

Adjective

sensitive

1. definite singular of sensitiv
2. plural of sensitiv

Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

sensitive

1. definite singular of sensitiv
2. plural of sensitiv

English

Etymology

From Middle English attentif, attentijf, from Old French attentif.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??t?nt?v/

Adjective

attentive (comparative more attentive, superlative most attentive)

1. Paying attention; noticing, watching, listening, or attending closely.

   She is an attentive listener, but does not like to talk much.

   • 1929, Robert Dean Frisbee, The Book of Puka-Puka (republished by Eland, 2019; p. 94):

     King-of-the-Sky was sitting alone in the Leeward Village meeting-house, gesticulating to the attentive shades of night, roaring out the genealogy of his ancestors, telling the sleeping world of his greatness.

2. Courteous; mindful.

   a husband attentive to his wife's needs

Synonyms

• audient
• mindful
• reckful

Antonyms

• inattentive, reckless

Translations

See also

• alert
• wary
• watchful

Anagrams

• tentative

French

Adjective

attentive

1. feminine singular of attentif