desensitize
English · Thesaurus
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
desensitize
- /diːˈsɛnsɪtaɪz/ US, UK
- /-ətaɪz/ US, UK
Where it comes from
From de- (“not, do the opposite of, undo”) + sensitize. First attested in the 1900s.
verb desensitizes · desensitizing · desensitized · desensitise
- To render (someone) emotionally or sensationally less responsive or irresponsive, as by long or repeated exposure to something. Working in an Operating Room desensitized me to the sight of blood.
- To render (a person or animal) nonreactive or insensitive to an allergen.
- To render (a photographic plate or film) less sensitive or insensitive to actinic rays of light.
- To free (someone) from the emotional charge of a neurosis or complex.
- To make non-image portions of (a lithographic stone or plate) repellent to ink.
Translations
Every language
verb render emotionally less sensitive or insensitive (to something)
| Español | desensibilizar, insensibilizar |
|---|---|
| Português | dessensibilizar, insensibilizar |
| Français | désensibiliser |
| Deutsch | desensibilisieren, abstumpfen |
| Română | desensibiliza |
| Русский | огрубить ogrubitʹ, огрублять ogrubljatʹ, охладеть oxladetʹ |
Talk about this word "desensitize." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/desensitize. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. desensitize. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/desensitize "desensitize." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/desensitize.Cite this
@misc{desensitize_2026,
title = {desensitize},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/desensitize},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
