perceptive

adjective

pər-ˈsep-tiv How to pronounce perceptive (audio)
Definition of perceptivenext
1
as in sensitive
able to sense slight impressions or differences due to their ability to rotate their ears, cats are very perceptive when it comes to pinpointing the source of a sound

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wise
having or showing deep understanding and intelligent application of knowledge a perceptive therapist was able to discover what was really troubling the youth

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of perceptive Her eyes are perceptive, and her broad cheekbones taper to a delicate chin. — ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026 Some are scholarly, some deliciously indiscreet, all are perceptive in one way or another, and one plunges wholesale into obsession. — Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026 The conversations that the screening started showed Teng that people are becoming more perceptive to watching stories from Palestine. — Matt Minton, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026 Those may be the best possible conditions for appreciating Hughes’s lowest-grossing directorial effort, a flawed but perceptive look at the emotional rollercoaster of becoming a parent. — Al Shipley, SPIN, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for perceptive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perceptive
  1. sensitive
  2. wise
  3. keen
  4. prudent
  5. quick
  6. insightful
  7. acute
Adjective
  • Over the past decade, cyberattacks against the education sector have risen expeditiously, exposing sensitive data, temporarily disrupting school operations and affecting students' learning.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Deisseroth, a Stanford professor, helped adapt a light-sensitive protein discovered by Hegemann and Nagel into a way to control nerve cells in living mice.
    — Kostya Manenkov, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of sensitive
Adjective
  • Street-wise, independent travelers wanting to immerse themselves in the city, and live like locals without any of the hassle.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • But the show already had a natural stopping point coming up that would be appropriate, storytelling-wise.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of wise
Adjective
  • That latest round of NFL-booth musical chairs has already seeded some decidedly dodgy ideas in the minds of our keenest sports-media types.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • At one point before its completion, Kanye West reportedly toured the active construction site, expressing a keen interest in purchasing the sprawling hillside complex.
    — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of keen
Adjective
  • In my view, a multinational AI task force of government and private sector experts from a range of disciplines would be more prudent than creating an AI Force, a quasi-military entity that would institutionalize AI’s worst impulses.
    — Jason M. Blazakis, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2026
  • For decades, prudent stewardship meant protecting wealth from uncertainty.
    — Walid Chiniara, Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of prudent
Adjective
  • Set the scene My Uber ride from Santa Fe’s Regional Airport was a quick 15 minutes.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The activewear market has been especially quick to adopt these changes.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of quick
Adjective
  • This breezy and insightful book, which takes the movie icon from the slums of New York to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, triumphant on Oscar night, is a sobering reminder of just how far Stallone had to go to make it.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Thank you to Ethan Tobman for your insightful production design, and bringing that feeling to life.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of insightful
Adjective
  • In some parts of Africa, the obstacles to foreign investment are more acute.
    — Jared Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2026
  • For instance, a patient might be admitted for diverticulitis (primary diagnosis), but found on post-op labs to have acute blood-loss anemia (secondary diagnosis).
    — Leah Pierson, STAT, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of acute

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perceptions
perceptive
perceptiveness
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Cite this Entry

“Perceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perceptive. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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