Word.ws English Dictionary

desensitise

desensitise is the alternative spelling of desensitize.

Meaning of desensitize

Verb

desensitize (third-person singular simple present desensitizes, present participle desensitizing, simple past and past participle desensitized)

  1. (ambitransitive) To render (someone) emotionally or sensationally less responsive or irresponsive, as by long or repeated exposure to something.
    • Working in an Operating Room desensitized me to the sight of blood.
    Synonyms:
    deaden, benumb, stupefy
  2. (ambitransitive) To render (a person or animal) nonreactive or insensitive to an allergen.
  3. (ambitransitive) To render (a photographic plate or film) less sensitive or insensitive to actinic rays of light.
  4. (ambitransitive) To free (someone) from the emotional charge of a neurosis or complex.
  5. (ambitransitive) To make non-image portions of (a lithographic stone or plate) repellent to ink.

Forms of desensitise

third-person singular presentdesensitises
present participledesensitising
past participledesensitised
pastdesensitised

Origin of desensitise

From de- + sensitise.

Words formed from desensitise

Questions about desensitise

What is desensitise the alternative spelling of?
Desensitise is the alternative spelling of desensitize.

Words near desensitise in the dictionary

  1. desensibilize
  2. desensibilized
  3. desensibilizes
  4. desensibilizing
  5. desensitisation
  6. desensitise
  7. desensitised
  8. desensitiser
  9. desensitisers
  10. desensitises
  11. desensitising

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: desensitise (page history and authors); desensitize (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Cite this entry: “desensitise.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/desensitise. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.