to untrain

6.5

Make a person or animal stop a learned habit

verb
/ʌnˈtreɪn/

: desaprender

To improve her performance, she needed to untrain the bad habits she had developed over the years.

Examples

We all have this ability, but we've untrained that ability by our constant focus on the outside worlds.
You have to do these counteracting forces just so that you can untrain those habits you have.
He decided it was time to untrain the reflex responses he had learned during his early training.
They found it difficult to untrain themselves from the instinct to react aggressively in stressful situations.

Synonyms

to unlearn

vsto untrain

9 6.4

To stop a habit or belief you had before

includes both accidental loss and being caused to lose skills, not only intentional forgetting

to unteach

vsto untrain

1 8.4

Make someone stop a learned habit or belief

can mean losing skills either naturally or because someone made you lose them

Antonyms

to train

∞ 1.0

To teach someone skills by practice and help

How Untrained

to untrain

6.5

to unlearn

9 6.4

to forget

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

untrain infinitive

untrained past

untrained past participle

untraining present participle

untrains third person singular

Morphology

untrain = train (transparent) = un + train

The prefix 'un-' clearly indicates a reversal or negation of the action 'train', making the meaning straightforward.

Etymology

Untrain is made from the prefix un- meaning 'not' or 'reverse' and the verb train meaning 'to teach' or 'practice'. So, to untrain someone is to undo what they learned and make them lose skills or habits, like taking off the training wheels that once helped you ride.