1. to administer an anesthetic to; to cause loss of sensation or consciousness in a patient before surgery
Usage: Also spelled 'anesthetize' in U.S. English; Medical/clinical term
2. to make insensitive or unresponsive; to dull the senses or emotions
Usage: Figurative use

Examples

• The surgeon will anaesthetize the patient before beginning the operation.
• The dentist anaesthetized the area around the tooth before filling the cavity.
• Years of criticism seemed to anaesthetize him to negative feedback.
• The constant noise of the city had anaesthetized her to the sound of traffic.
• Local anesthetic was used to anaesthetize just the affected region.
• The medication anaesthetized the nerve endings, relieving the pain.