desensitises
Makes less reactive
Desensitises is the British spelling of desensitizes.
To desensitise is to make less sensitive—either physically or emotionally.
A doctor may desensitise a patient to an allergen through gradual exposure.
Repeated violence in media is said to desensitise viewers to real-world suffering: Years of covering war had desensitised him to the carnage.
Make used to
- familiarizeMake known to oneself
- conditionState or stipulation
- inureAcclimatize to difficulty
- acclimateAdjust to environment
habituate · normalize · acclimatize · attune · season · repetition · exposure · familiarization
Render insensible to pain
- deadenDiminish force or sensation
- dullLacking edge or interest
- bluntDull or tactlessly direct
- numbLacking physical sensation
analgesic · anesthetic · sedate · dampen · mute · diminish · suppress · block
Separation or emotional uninvolvement
- apathyAbsence of feeling
- callousnessCruel emotional indifference
- indifferenceLack of interest
- coldnessLow temperature state
unfeeling · hardening · distancing · disconnection · disengagement · stoicism · impassivity · burnout
Persistent irrational dread
- anxietyPersistent apprehensive distress
- traumaLasting psychological wound
- PTSDChronic reaction to horrific events
- cognitive-behavioralRelating thought to action
immunotherapy · allergen · flooding · counterconditioning · aversion · trigger · threshold · clinical
accustom
Make used to
- familiarizeMake known to oneself
- conditionState or stipulation
- inureAcclimatize to difficulty
acclimate · habituate · normalize · acclimatize · attune · season · repetition · exposure · familiarization · conditioning
anesthetize
Render insensible to pain
numb · analgesic · anesthetic · sedate · dampen · mute · diminish · suppress · block · impair
detachment
Separation or emotional uninvolvement
- apathyAbsence of feeling
- callousnessCruel emotional indifference
- indifferenceLack of interest
coldness · unfeeling · hardening · distancing · disconnection · disengagement · stoicism · impassivity · burnout · jaded
phobia
Persistent irrational dread
- anxietyPersistent apprehensive distress
- traumaLasting psychological wound
- PTSDChronic reaction to horrific events
cognitive-behavioral · immunotherapy · allergen · flooding · counterconditioning · aversion · trigger · threshold · clinical · treatment
desensitisessensitises
Makes reactive to stimuli
sharpens · sensitizes · attunes · activates · primes