desensitize

American  

[dee-sen-si-tahyz] / diˈsɛn sɪˌtaɪz /

especially British, desensitise

verb (used with object)

• desensitizes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• desensitized,
  past participle,  past
• desensitizing
  present participle

1. to lessen the sensitiveness of.

2. to make indifferent, unaware, or the like, in feeling.

3. Photography. to make less sensitive or wholly insensitive to light, as the emulsion on a film.

4. Printing. to treat (the design on a lithographic plate) with an etch in order to increase the capacity to retain moisture, and to remove traces of grease.

5. Chemistry. to reduce the sensitivity of (an explosive) to those stimuli capable of detonating it.

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desensitize British  

/ diːˈsɛnsɪˌtaɪz /

verb

1. to render insensitive or less sensitive

   the patient was desensitized to the allergen

   to desensitize photographic film

2. psychol to decrease the abnormal fear in (a person) of a situation or object, by exposing him to it either in reality or in his imagination

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• desensitization
  noun
• desensitizer
  noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

• desensitizing
  present
• desensitized
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• desensitize
  simple
• desensitizes
  simple
• have desensitized
  perfect
• has desensitized
  perfect
• am desensitizing
  progressive
• are desensitizing
  progressive
• is desensitizing
  progressive
• have been desensitizing
  perfect progressive
• has been desensitizing
  perfect progressive

Past

• desensitized
  simple
• had desensitized
  perfect
• was desensitizing
  progressive
• were desensitizing
  progressive
• had been desensitizing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will desensitize
  simple
• will have desensitized
  perfect
• will be desensitizing
  progressive
• will have been desensitizing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of desensitize

First recorded in 1900–05; de- + sensitize

Explanation

To desensitize is to make less sensitive, or less easily upset. Some people say that watching scary movies desensitizes kids to violence. A shot of novocaine desensitizes you to the pain of having a cavity drilled by your dentist, and lots of spicy food can desensitize you to more subtle flavors. In both cases, you become less perceptive, or less affected by a sensation or taste. Witnessing violence can likewise desensitize soldiers or war reporters. The word originally referred to photographic development, from de-, "do the opposite of," and sensitize, with its Latin root sentire, "feel or perceive."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

desensitize desensitizes desensitized desensitizing

“One of the things that we teach them to do is to massage that over repeatedly throughout the day, to desensitize it,” April says.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2024

For young children and people who have to take many different allergy medications, immunotherapies in the form of shots and oral drops can help desensitize the immune system to allergens, treating symptoms at their root.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 22, 2024

The pretreatment seemed to desensitize the animals to the hormone’s effects later on.

From Science Magazine ● Dec. 13, 2023

“The perpetrators of this crime do so in the hope that it will harass and intimidate Jewish families, radicalize others, or desensitize some to the messaging,” the motion adds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 28, 2023

Riding in the open air is better than not being in the open air at all, but it does not compare in its power to desensitize people with active exercise in the open air.

From Health Through Will Power by James J. (James Joseph) Walsh

“We hear stuff like this all the time. It just desensitizes you to there being an actual threat, knock on wood.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026

“It desensitizes you to handcuffs, to steel, to concrete, to cold, to institutions,” said Roybal, now 38 and a physical therapist.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 10, 2023

In addition to killing cavity-causing bacteria, the treatment hardens tooth structure, desensitizes the tooth and even stops new cavities from forming.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 11, 2020

“Wikipedians are used to hunting trolls and fighting them. It desensitizes them.”

From Slate ● Dec. 11, 2014

Regional anesthesia desensitizes a large section of someone’s body by injecting drugs into the spine that block nerve signals to the brain.

From Salon ● Mar. 20, 2014

He explains how he believes Alcaraz’s tragic death likely came to be and how officers have become desensitized to issues afflicting America’s prisons.

From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2026

Pepperstone strategist Michael Brown said markets appear to be “becoming increasingly desensitized to incoming geopolitical news flow” as the conflict drags on.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026

Reactions to other recent reports have been muted as well, with investors seemingly desensitized to Nvidia’s big numbers.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 23, 2026

Investors have become desensitized to risk as the 2008-09 financial crisis fades from memory, Block believes.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2025

I’ve been desensitized to the horrors of group therapy.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

Skylar King, who’s performing at the show, said she had a week of long conversations with her fellow performers on how to joke about climate change without desensitizing people to the seriousness of the topic.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2024

Trainers begin by desensitizing the chimps to the sound, doling out bananas, Cheerios or other treats as it plays.

From New York Times ● Aug. 8, 2023

It works by desensitizing the nerves in the skin that transmit an itch sensation.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 7, 2023

We were working on positive reinforcement training and desensitizing her to triggers like the vacuum, which she’d bitten the night before.

From Slate ● Jun. 9, 2021

But this morning I noticed a real improvement when I went through the massage and desensitizing routine.

From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen

Related Words

• deaden