English Dictionary

DESENSITISE

Pronunciation (US): Play  (GB): Play

 Dictionary entry overview: What does desensitise mean? 

DESENSITISE (verb)
  The verb DESENSITISE has 2 senses:

1. cause not to be sensitiveplay

2. make insensitiveplay

  Familiarity information: DESENSITISE used as a verb is rare.


 Dictionary entry details 


DESENSITISE (verb)

 Conjugation: 
Present simple: I / you / we / they desensitise  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation ... he / she / it desensitises  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
Past simple: desensitised  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
Past participle: desensitised  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
-ing form: desensitising  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation


Sense 1

Meaning:

Cause not to be sensitive

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

desensitise; desensitize

Context example:

The photographic plate was desensitized

Hypernyms (to "desensitise" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "desensitise"):

benumb; blunt; dull; numb (make numb or insensitive)

bedaze; daze; stun (overcome as with astonishment or disbelief)

besot; stupefy (make dull or stupid or muddle with drunkenness or infatuation)

deaf; deafen (make or render deaf)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Antonym:

sensitise (cause to sense; make sensitive)

Derivation:

desensitisation (the process of reducing sensitivity)


Sense 2

Meaning:

Make insensitive

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

desensitise; desensitize

Context example:

His military training desensitized him

Hypernyms (to "desensitise" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody PP

Derivation:

desensitisation (the process of reducing sensitivity)


 Learn English with... Proverbs 
"A fox smells its own stink first." (English proverb)

"As you sow, so shall you reap." (Bulgarian proverb)

"If you opress who is below you then you won't be safe from the punishment of who is above you." (Arabic proverb)

"Theory dominates practice." (Corsican proverb)



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