thin-skinned

Quick to bruise

Thin-skinned means easily hurt or offended by criticism.

Someone thin-skinned takes remarks personally and reacts defensively to even mild feedback: He's too thin-skinned for politics.

The metaphor suggests inadequate protection—skin too thin to buffer against ordinary friction.

The opposite is thick-skinned.

emotional

touchy

Easily upset or offended

oversensitiveExcessively prone to offense
hypersensitiveExcessively reactive to stimuli
reactiveTending to respond

defensive · prickly · testy · irascible · petulant · peevish · tetchy · cantankerous · short-tempered · querulous

physical

delicate

Easily broken or harmed

fragileEasily broken or damaged
paperyThin and dry-textured
translucentPermitting diffused light passage

permeable · gossamer · sheer · fine · tender · soft · sensitive · onionskin · eggshell · grape

insecure

self-conscious

Uncomfortably aware of oneself

insecureLacking self-assurance
vulnerableOpen to attack
fragileEasily broken or damaged

wounded · tender · soft · anxious · guarded · wary · distrustful · mistrustful · paranoid · defensive

Categories

irritabilitycranky, grouchy, grumpy, irritated, annoyed
slang traitsbossy, brainy, bubbly, chatty, cheeky
reactivereactive, excitable, volatile, high-strung, jumpy
anxietiesworry, angst, nervousness, dread, apprehension
emotionaldramatic, hysterical, weepy, tearful, melodramatic
offendedoffended, insulted, slighted, affronted, indignant

Opposites

emotional sensitivity to criticism

thin-skinnedthick-skinned

Resistant to criticism

insensitive · callous · unfeeling · impervious · hardened

temperament and resilience

thin-skinnedeasygoing

Relaxed in temperament

unflappable · imperturbable · thick-skinned · good-natured · relaxed

Family

skin, thin, thickness, skins, skinned, thinned, thinning, thinner, thinness

Familiarity: Top 50,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated G