Hypersensitivity Meaning
/hˌaɪpəˈrsɛnsɪˌtɪvɪˌti/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounAny heightened immune response to an antigen; an allergy; hypersensation.
nounThe state of being easily offended or hurt.
Sentence Examples
She experienced hypersensitivity to certain medications.
Hypersensitivity reactions can be life-threatening.
The doctor tested him for food hypersensitivity.
CEFR Practice Quiz
Her skin reacted to the mild soap with a severe rash, showing ____ to chemicals.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
His severe allergic reaction was caused by a ____ to a specific type of plant pollen.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úp Proto-Indo-European *-er Proto-Indo-European *upér Proto-Hellenic *hupér Ancient Greek ῠ̔πέρ (hŭpér) Ancient Greek ῠ̔περ- (hŭper-)der. English hyper- English sensitivity English hypersensitivity From hyper- + sensitivity.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
""I might say," remarked Professor Richet, "that the hyper-sensibility is moral as well as physical. Panbek is impressionable and full of emotion, with the temperament of the poet and all those little weaknesses, if we may call them so, which the poet pays as a ransom for his gifts.""
— 1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:
"If our universities are teaching students that their emotions can be used effectively as weapons—or at least as evidence in administrative proceedings—then they are teaching students to nurture a kind of hypersensitivity that will lead them into countless drawn-out conflicts in college and beyond."
— 2015, The Atlantic, G. Lukianoff, J. Haidt, The Coddling of the American Mind:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Her skin reacted to the mild soap with a severe rash, showing ____ to chemicals.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
His severe allergic reaction was caused by a ____ to a specific type of plant pollen.