to desensitize
16
6.3
- verb
- /ˌdiːˈsɛnsaɪtaɪz/
- Some studies show that watching too much violent television can desensitize viewers to real-life aggression.
- become desensitized
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Watch on YouTubeThe autonomic nervous system has been desensitized and we need to regulate it again.
- The autonomic nervous system has been desensitized and we need to regulate it again.
- It's addictive, which means it desensitizes the brain to making more dopamine.
- The derivatives are just there to desensitize the plan to future interest rate swings.
- So a kid playing Grand Theft Auto now is actually playing a game that was designed to desensitize someone to be able to kill somebody.
- And over a period of weeks, I started to become desensitized to that sound, just became kind of background noise.
- It can even cause some fear in terms of treatment for misophonia there there are ways to try and desensitize yourself to certain sounds.
- And we basically desensitize them and, and, you know, and teach them also what is behind a panic.
- So the sounds might be loud or that, you know, the feeling of the punch might feel harder or you might get desensitized to it.
- I I never got completely desensitized to the dead, which I'm so thankful for, but I did become more mechanical, I think.
- And then you kind of your brain connects them together and sort of desensitizes them that way.
- And also, you know, I maybe to desensitize me from people being like that sucked, you know, right.
Examples
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For example, greater exposure to violent media desensitizes people to the effects of violence and aggression.
Academic text (2011) -
And over a period of weeks, I started to become desensitized to that sound, just became kind of background noise.
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Using it could desensitize you to men forever.
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And then we find that line and desensitize slowly.
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Now we said that feedback can be used to desensitize us to variations in forward path gain.
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Some instructors believe that repeated testing will eventually desensitize students.
Academic text (1994) -
To help the recipient's body accept this foreign body part, his or her immune system must be desensitized.
Academic text (2012) -
Several boys were desensitized to the threat of violent victimization.
Academic text (2013) -
Training should allow students to practice these skills and become desensitized to anxiety associated with explorative thinking.
Academic text (2003) -
Normalizing is a tactic used to desensitize an individual to abusive, coercive, or inappropriate behaviors.
Blog text (10)
Synonyms
12
3.9
Make someone less sensitive to unpleasant things
6
5.5
To make a feeling, sound, or pain less strong
2
8.9
Become used to something unpleasant so it no longer bothers you
1
8.5
To make a person unable to feel pain or strong emotion
Antonyms
How Desensitizing
Surface Forms
Morphology
desensitize = sensitize (transparent) = de + sensit + ive + ize
The step from 'sensitize' to 'desensitize' is a standard and readily understandable use of 'de-' meaning to reduce or reverse a state.
Etymology
Desensitize comes from the parts de- meaning 'remove', sense meaning 'feeling', seen in sensitive, and -ize meaning 'to make'. So to desensitize someone is to 'take away' some feeling or make them less responsive, which is why repeated exposure can reduce a strong reaction.