sensitiveness en · NOUN
Pronunciation
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Etymology
Etymology tree English sensitive Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English sensitiveness From sensitive + -ness.
Meanings
- (countable, uncountable) The quality or degree of being sensitive.
- (countable, uncountable) The ability to perceive sensation.
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(countable, uncountable) The ability to be aware of (and, usually, react with regard to) the feelings of others.
How wrong I was! wit, with him, was only the sparkle of the waters which hide precious things in the depths below. I can enter into the sensitiveness which is fain to keep that which it prizes most dearly, hidden from a cold and mocking world.
1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Chapter XXI. Lady Marchmont’s Journal.”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 159:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| sensitivenesses | Number=Plur | lexicographic |