de·sen·si·tize desensitizes desensitizing desensitized in BRIT, also use desensitise To desensitize someone to things such as pain, anxiety, or other people's suffering, means to cause them to react less strongly to them. the language that is used to desensitize us to the terrible reality of war. to make someone react less strongly to something by making them become used to it desensitize sb to sth