defensiveness

/dɪˈfɛnsɪvnəs/
noun
  1. The quality of being ready to protect oneself from attack or criticism.
    • His defensiveness made it hard for anyone to give him helpful feedback.
    • A little defensiveness is natural when you feel unfairly judged.
    • The coach noticed the player's defensiveness whenever his performance was discussed.
Synonyms
What does "defensiveness" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean