susceptibility

The tendency to be easily affected or harmed by something.

• Poor sleep increases susceptibility to infection.
• The study measured susceptibility to stress.
• Genes may influence a person’s susceptibility to certain diseases.

How to use it: susceptibility to something (Smoking increases susceptibility to lung disease.)

Similar words: vulnerability, sensitivity

Opposites: resistance

Common phrases: susceptibility to disease, increased susceptibility, genetic susceptibility

A particular weakness that makes someone or something easy to affect or harm.

• The test revealed an inherited susceptibility to infection.
• Doctors considered her individual susceptibilities before choosing treatment.
• Each variety has a different susceptibility to disease.

How to use it: a susceptibility to something (He has a particular susceptibility to chest infections.)

Similar words: vulnerability, weakness

Common phrases: individual susceptibility, inherited susceptibility, particular susceptibility

The tendency to have strong feelings or be easily upset.

• Her emotional susceptibility made criticism painful.
• He tried not to offend their susceptibilities.
• The joke hurt his delicate susceptibilities.

Similar words: sensitivity, sensitiveness

Opposites: insensitivity

Common phrases: emotional susceptibility, delicate susceptibilities, hurt someone’s susceptibilities

A measure of how easily an electric field shifts positive and negative charges within a material.

• The material has a high electric susceptibility.
• We measured the susceptibility of the sample.
• Its susceptibility changes with temperature.

Similar words: electric susceptibility

Common phrases: electric susceptibility, dielectric susceptibility