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Synonyms

hypersensitivity

Cultural  

  1. An excessive or abnormal sensitivity to a substance. A person who is hypersensitive to a certain drug will often suffer a severe allergic reaction (see allergy) if given the drug.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Xofluza can be taken by anyone age 5 or older, but isn’t recommended for pregnant or breast-feeding mothers, or those with a known hypersensitivity to baloxavir marboxil.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 12, 2026

"Even if you don't directly feed pigeons, their droppings on window sills and balconies can cause hypersensitivity pneumonitis," he said.

From BBC • Aug. 17, 2025

Around 90% of autism patients also suffer from abnormal sensory hypersensitivity that deeply affects their daily functioning.

From Science Daily • May 9, 2024

Now, scientists are linking this hypersensitivity to specific inflammatory chemicals and receptors on airway nerves.

From National Geographic • Jan. 25, 2024

Not only that, hypersensitivity to other humans' reactions is not only normal, it's an evolutionary advantage.

From Salon • Sep. 18, 2023

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.