responsive
Americanadjective
-
responding especially readily and sympathetically to appeals, efforts, influences, etc..
a responsive government.
- Synonyms:
- sympathetic, understanding, receptive
-
Physiology. acting in response, as to some stimulus.
-
characterized by the use of responses.
responsive worship.
adjective
-
reacting or replying quickly or favourably, as to a suggestion, initiative, etc
-
(of an organism) reacting to a stimulus
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of responsive
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English word from Late Latin word respōnsīvus. See response, -ive
Explanation
People who are responsive are alert and aware — they're giving responses. The least responsive people in the world are people in deep comas. Responsive has several meanings, but they're very similar. If someone just came out of a coma and starting saying anything at all (or even started blinking), you'd be happy at how responsive they are. A person who has enthusiasm is more responsive than someone who is quiet and seems bored. Things other than people can be responsive too: a plant is responsive to sunlight, and the fire department is responsive to a fire. Anything that is alert and quick to react is responsive.
Vocabulary lists containing responsive
Power Prefix: re-
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: re-
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New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964)
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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.
Juliette Lewis will spend the majority of the film’s runtime inanimate; a chic vegetable that her friends draw lipstick on and talk to, as if she were as normal and responsive as any other day.
From Salon • Jun. 10, 2026
In Dataland’s exhibition Ruwe Pinu becomes a responsive software canvas for a faraway culture and a primordial future.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
Again, good for Monaco, where a responsive engine is a benefit, and top-end power is relatively less important.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
The method uses a temperature responsive solvent to pull lithium directly from salty underground brines, even when lithium concentrations are low or mixed with other minerals that are difficult to separate.
From Science Daily • May 23, 2026
He was surprised that Charlie and Jamie, both now so alive to the possibility of dramatic change in the financial markets, were less alert and responsive to the possibilities outside those markets.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
