acclimatize

American  

[uh-klahy-muh-tahyz] / əˈklaɪ məˌtaɪz /

especially British, acclimatise

verb (used with or without object)

acclimatizes, present (3rd person singular) acclimatized, past participle, past acclimatizing present participle

1. to acclimate.

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acclimatize British  

/ əˈklaɪməˌtaɪz, əˈklaɪmeɪt, ˈæklɪˌmeɪt /

verb

1. to adapt or become accustomed to a new climate or environment

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• acclimatization
  noun
• acclimatizer
  noun
• reacclimatization
  noun
• reacclimatize
  verb
• acclimatizable
  adjective
• unacclimatized
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• acclimatizing
  present
• acclimatized
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• acclimatize
  simple
• acclimatizes
  simple
• have acclimatized
  perfect
• has acclimatized
  perfect
• am acclimatizing
  progressive
• are acclimatizing
  progressive
• is acclimatizing
  progressive
• have been acclimatizing
  perfect progressive
• has been acclimatizing
  perfect progressive

Past

• acclimatized
  simple
• had acclimatized
  perfect
• was acclimatizing
  progressive
• were acclimatizing
  progressive
• had been acclimatizing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will acclimatize
  simple
• will have acclimatized
  perfect
• will be acclimatizing
  progressive
• will have been acclimatizing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of acclimatize

First recorded in 1830–40; acclimate + -ize

Explanation

When you get used to a new situation or climate, you acclimatize to it. People who travel to very hot countries in the summer find it takes quite some time to acclimatize to the heat. The verb acclimatize is usually followed by the word "to," and while you can use it to essentially mean "get used to the weather," it can also refer to new situations. A new student will acclimatize to her new school, and an African immigrant will need to acclimatize to many unfamiliar conditions in the US. Acclimatize comes from acclimate, and in many cases has replaced it — both come from a French root, acclimater.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

acclimatize acclimatizes acclimatized acclimatizing

Sports science experts say the best way to handle the thin air is to arrive up to 10 days in advance to acclimatize, or as close to kickoff as possible to minimize the physical toll.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

Climbers have to walk across those ladders, wearing big boots and crampons, as they make multiple trips back and forth to advanced camps to acclimatize before finally heading for the summit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2024

In other cases, temperature variability can lead to an opposite response in the affected organism: an ability to acclimatize or adapt to temperature extremes, depending on their frequency and intensity.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 16, 2023

Before the matches began, the players took at least two days to acclimatize to the altitude.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 4, 2023

Harry’s eyes, still puffy, took a moment to acclimatize, then he saw a pair of wrought-iron gates at the foot of what looked like a long drive.

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling

But when he works a smaller room, his charisma acclimatizes itself; he turns smooth, dexterous.

From Time Magazine Archive

For example, experts suggest light outdoor exercise, which acclimatizes your body to the hot environment and helps you expel heat more efficiently.

From Time Magazine Archive

Jesus acclimatizes man's spirit to a far different home, and sets in his heart an altogether different eternity.

From Some Christian Convictions A Practical Restatement in Terms of Present-Day Thinking by Coffin, Henry Sloane

“Many, many people wouldn’t have been acclimatized to the heat,” said Wasiu Adeniyi Ibrahim, head of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency’s central forecast office and an author of the study.

From New York Times ● Mar. 21, 2024

Vanos said the commonly-used wet-bulb temperature for human survivability assumes the person is indoors or shaded, unclothed, completely sedentary, fully heat acclimatized and of an "average size."

From Science Daily ● Nov. 30, 2023

But it still raises public health concerns in an area that is known for its cool, gentle summers—and whose people are not acclimatized to serious heat this early in the season, if ever.

From Scientific American ● May 12, 2023

“If you’re not acclimatized, heat-related illness is a life-threatening condition,” said Dr. Jonathan Finnoff, chief medical officer for the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2021

I huffed toward the relative security of the serac’s crest with all the haste I could muster, but since I wasn’t acclimatized my fastest pace was no better than a crawl.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

And we are acclimatizing ourselves to the idea that Elon Musk could become the world’s first trillionaire.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 5, 2026

There is little question that this has had some effect on the rest of the Premier League: The clubs are, it seems, acclimatizing themselves to an environment where there are actual consequences for their actions.

From New York Times ● Feb. 2, 2024

It automatically shows up on the home screen, and the first three 15-minute workouts are dedicated to acclimatizing you to proper form and the three types of Hydrow workouts: Breathe, Sweat, and Drive.

From The Verge ● Jul. 7, 2022

Still, Kahn decided to make do and began acclimatizing himself with the table by sending a succession of winks hurtling toward the plastic red cup.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 26, 2019

Compounding her difficulties, moreover, Hunt had trouble acclimatizing and suffered severe headaches and shortness of breath during most of her stay at Base Camp.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer