Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to oversensitize

to oversensitize

8.0
To make someone or something too sensitive to things like light and noise
  • verb
  • /ˌoʊvərˈsɛnɪtaɪz/
translation icon : hipersensibilizar
  • More recent theories say that exposure to a single loud noise can oversensitize the ear, as can a smack on the head.

Examples

  • Whenever people get oversensitized these days, the language inevitably gets oversanitized.

    Academic text (1999)

  • The loud music at the concert can easily oversensitize your hearing.

  • After countless horror movies, many people become oversensitized to violence and react differently to it.

  • Children may become oversensitized to certain textures in food if they are constantly exposed to unusual foods.

Synonyms

to sensitize
vsto oversensitize
3 6.1

Make a person more likely to react to something like an allergen or idea

is about excessive sensitivity rather than ordinary becoming sensitive
to hypersensitize
vsto oversensitize
  • Specialized
8.7

Make a person or animal react strongly to a substance

is a strong excessive sensitivity but not necessarily abnormal
sensitizing
vsto oversensitize
  • US
7.0

To make a person or animal more likely to react to touch and strong feelings

refers to too much susceptibility rather than a normal making receptive
to sensibilize
vsto oversensitize
8.3

To make people more aware of a problem or idea

focuses on excess sensitivity to a specific stimulus rather than general awareness

Antonyms

to desensitize
10 6.3

To make people and animals feel less strong reactions to pain, fear or loud sounds, often by repeated exposure

How Sensitive

to hypersensitize
  • Specialized
8.7
to oversensitize
8.0
to sensitize
3 6.1

Surface Forms

oversensitize infinitive
oversensitized past
oversensitized past participle
oversensitizing present participle
oversensitizes third person singular

Morphology

oversensitize = sensitize (transparent) = over + sensitize

The meaning is directly 'to make (someone) excessively sensitive': 'over-' (excessively) + 'sensitize' is a regular, transparent combination.

Etymology

Oversensitize is made of over- meaning 'too much' and sensitize, which comes from sense meaning 'to feel', and you can see the same root in sensitive. So, to oversensitize someone is to make them 'too sensitive', which is why a small sound or touch can cause a big reaction.