1. to administer an anesthetic to; to make insensible to pain
Usage: British spelling; American spelling is 'anesthetize'; medical/clinical term
2. to make insensible or unresponsive; to dull the senses or emotions of
Usage: figurative use

Examples

• The dentist will anesthetise your tooth before filling the cavity.
• The surgeon anesthetised the patient before beginning the operation.
• Repeated exposure to violence can anesthetise people to its effects.
• The medication anesthetised the area around the injection site.
• Years of disappointment had anesthetised her to hope.
• Local anesthetic was used to anesthetise the skin before the procedure.