defensiveness
10
6.4
- noun
- /dɪˈfɛnsɪvnəs/
:
actitud defensiva
- Anytime you start telling somebody you need to do this, you need to do that, you need to do this, defensiveness goes up really high.
- attributions of defensiveness
- recipient defensiveness
- self-ratings of defensiveness
I want to defend, but with narcissists, defensiveness always makes things worse.
- I want to defend, but with narcissists, defensiveness always makes things worse.
- He looked for disrespect, defensiveness, criticism and stonewalling.
- But certain negatives were much more predictive of relationship demise, and they were criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling.
- There's something that's the emotion I'm feeling at the moment is a slight defensiveness and I want to just go there.
- One of the dominant reactions is defensiveness, and people try to cover up rather than recover.
- And my second and last point is that alarmism, defensiveness and the alienation of public support are clearly related.
- And I think defensiveness is the great enemy of communication growth in friendship and in relationships.
- And it's on defensiveness versus remediation.
- end of the story that would be without without defensiveness or ego. OK. And then you can go on on of where everybody goes on the Internet,
Examples
-
Teacher resistance was minimal, yet underlying defensiveness was evident during initial meetings with the participants.
Academic text (2012) -
I see so much resentment and defensiveness.
-
And yet we cannot let that defensiveness stop us.
-
And the defensiveness, is that a recent development?
-
And I think defensiveness is the great enemy of communication growth in friendship and in relationships.
-
There is often a defensiveness amongst law enforcement.
-
However, it may also lead to defensiveness about identities thought to be under threat.
Academic text (2003) -
One of the dominant reactions is defensiveness, and people try to cover up rather than recover.
-
A note of defensiveness had crept into her voice; she saw them noticing it.
Fiction book (2000) -
Many people exhibit a sense of defensiveness when facing criticism, making it hard to have constructive conversations.
Synonyms
2
7.9
A defensive, isolated attitude people develop after being criticized many times
1
5.8
A tendency to react too strongly to criticism or small problems
1
6.9
A way of being careful and reserved about sharing personal thoughts or feelings
Trying to protect yourself from criticism by denying or making excuses
Antonyms
How Defensive
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Defensiveness comes from the verb defend, which means 'protect'. Think of lifting a shield when someone criticizes you. So, defensiveness is the habit of protecting yourself from criticism, often by reacting too quickly.