desensitize
C1Formal to neutral. Common in medical, psychological, and journalistic contexts.
Definition
Meaning
to make someone or something less sensitive or less likely to react to something.
In medicine, to reduce sensitivity to an allergen. In psychology/social contexts, to make someone less affected by shocking, violent, or emotional stimuli through repeated exposure.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The process (desensitization) often implies a deliberate or gradual reduction of a natural reaction, sometimes viewed negatively when it concerns empathy or morality.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. Spelling: British English also accepts 'desensitise'. Usage frequency and contexts are identical.
Connotations
Equally carries potential negative connotations regarding loss of empathy or moral concern.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American English corpora, likely due to broader media discussion on violence and media effects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
desensitize someone to somethingbe/become desensitized to somethingVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “(to be) numb to”
- “hardened to”
- “inured to (related concept)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Possibly in HR contexts regarding workplace stress.
Academic
Common in psychology, media studies, sociology, and medicine.
Everyday
Used when discussing media violence, news overload, or personal reactions.
Technical
Specific in medicine (allergy treatments) and psychology (exposure therapy).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The documentary aimed to desensitise the audience to the realities of poverty.
- Patients are gradually desensitised to the allergen through controlled exposure.
American English
- Critics argue violent video games can desensitize players to real-world aggression.
- The therapy is designed to desensitize you to specific phobias.
adverb
British English
- The material was presented desensitisingly, which some found problematic. (Very rare)
American English
- (Extremely rare; typically not used)
adjective
British English
- After years on the front line, the journalist felt somewhat desensitised to graphic scenes.
- A desensitised public may no longer react to humanitarian crises.
American English
- He became desensitized to the constant noise of the city.
- A desensitized response to shocking news is a modern concern.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Watching too much news can desensitize you to bad events.
- The doctor will desensitize him to the pollen.
- Overexposure to media violence may desensitize young people to its effects.
- Immunotherapy works by desensitizing the patient's immune system to the allergen.
- The government's relentless propaganda sought to desensitize the population to the erosion of civil liberties.
- Ethicists warn that using drone warfare desensitizes operators to the consequences of lethal force.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: DE-(remove) + SENSITIZE (make sensitive) = to remove sensitivity.
Conceptual Metaphor
SENSITIVITY IS A SHIELD / REACTIVITY IS A SCALE (reducing the scale's movement).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque 'десенситизировать'. Use 'притуплять (чувствительность)', 'снижать восприимчивость', or medical 'проводить десенсибилизацию'.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing with 'dissociate' or 'detach'. Using wrong preposition: 'desensitize from' instead of 'desensitize to'.
Practice
Quiz
In a medical context, 'desensitize' most closely means:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is neutral. In medicine (allergy treatment) and therapy (phobia treatment), it is a positive, therapeutic process.
Desensitization (US/UK) or Desensitisation (UK variant spelling).
Yes, though less common. It implies a conscious, self-directed process of reducing one's own sensitivity.
'Harden' emphasizes emotional toughening, often through difficult experiences. 'Desensitize' focuses specifically on reducing sensitivity or reaction, often through repeated exposure, and is used in wider technical contexts.
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