de ‧ sen ‧ si ‧ tize BrE AmE ( also desensitise British English ) /diːˈsensətaɪz, diːˈsensɪtaɪz/ verb [transitive]
to make someone react less strongly to something by making them become used to it
desensitize somebody to something
Does TV desensitize people to violence?
—desensitization /diːˌsensətaɪˈzeɪʃ ə n, diːˌsensɪtaɪˈzeɪʃ ə n $ -tə-/ noun [uncountable]