Desensitize

/diːˈsɛnsɪtaɪz/ verb

verb ·Moderate ·College level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: To reduce or eliminate the sensitivity of (someone) or in (something); to become insensitive.; To render (someone) emotionally or sensationally less responsive or irresponsive, as by long or repeated exposure to something.
  • Grammar: desensitize is listed as verb.
  • Nearest alternatives: acclimate, adapt, anaesthetize, anaesthetizes.
  • Useful contrasts: attuning, sensitizing, activate.
  • Usage evidence: Pornography can desensitize individuals to sexual content, leading to a need for more extreme material to achieve arousal.

How to use "desensitize"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "desensitize" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "desensitize" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "desensitize" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "desensitize" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "desensitize" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "acclimate" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "desensitize", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To reduce or eliminate the sensitivity of (someone) or in (something); to become insensitive.; To render (someone) emotionally or sensationally less responsive or irresponsive, as by long or repeated exposure to something. ambitransitive

    "Working in an Operating Room desensitized me to the sight of blood."

  2. 2
    make insensitive wordnet
  3. 3
    To reduce or eliminate the sensitivity of (someone) or in (something); to become insensitive.; To render (a person or animal) nonreactive or insensitive to an allergen. ambitransitive
  4. 4
    cause not to be sensitive wordnet
  5. 5
    To reduce or eliminate the sensitivity of (someone) or in (something); to become insensitive.; To render (a photographic plate or film) less sensitive or insensitive to actinic rays of light. ambitransitive
Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    To reduce or eliminate the sensitivity of (someone) or in (something); to become insensitive.; To free (someone) from the emotional charge of a neurosis or complex. ambitransitive
  2. 7
    To reduce or eliminate the sensitivity of (someone) or in (something); to become insensitive.; To make non-image portions of (a lithographic stone or plate) repellent to ink. ambitransitive

Synonyms

All synonyms
acclimateadaptanaesthetizeanaesthetizesanesthetizeattenuate

Example

"Pornography can desensitize individuals to sexual content, leading to a need for more extreme material to achieve arousal."

Common questions

What does "desensitize" mean?

To reduce or eliminate the sensitivity of (someone) or in (something); to become insensitive.; To render (someone) emotionally or sensationally less responsive or irresponsive, as by long or repeated exposure to something.

What is a synonym for "desensitize"?

Common synonyms include: acclimate, adapt, anaesthetize, anaesthetizes, anesthetize, attenuate.

How do you use "desensitize" in a sentence?

Pornography can desensitize individuals to sexual content, leading to a need for more extreme material to achieve arousal.

How do you pronounce "desensitize"?

Pronounced /diːˈsɛnsɪtaɪz/.

Etymology

From de- (“not, do the opposite of, undo”) + sensitize. First attested in the 1900s.

More for "desensitize"

Synonyms

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