anaesthetise

IPA/ɐnˈiːsθətˌaɪz/
IPA/ɐnˈɛsθətˌaɪz/

anaesthetise — verb

1. to give someone a drug that stops them from feeling pain, so a doctor can operat

1.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to give someone a drug that stops them from feeling pain, so a doctor can operate or carry out treatment

Example

Dr. Okonkwo anaesthetised the patient's arm before stitching the deep cut.

anaesthetised the patient's arm

The vet anaesthetised Yuki's cat before removing a thorn from its paw.

Common collocations
  • fully anaesthetised
  • locally anaesthetised
  • lightly anaesthetised
  • partially anaesthetised
Synonyms
  • numb

    more general and less formal; can describe cold or shock, not only medical drugging

  • put under

    informal phrasal verb used in everyday conversation about surgery

  • desensitise

    broader term for reducing sensitivity; not limited to medical contexts

Antonyms
  • sensitise

    make more responsive to physical sensation

Grammar Patterns

anaesthetise + noun

Usage Note

British English spelling; the American form is 'anesthetize'. Both are regular verbs (anaesthetised, anaesthetising / anesthetized, anesthetizing).

Common Mistakes

The nurse anaesthetised.
The nurse anaesthetised the patient.
'Anaesthetise' always needs a direct object; it cannot be used without one.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Anaesthetise is the standard medical term for giving drugs that block pain during surgery, and it implies a controlled clinical setting. Numb can describe the same loss of sensation but is used much more broadly — your fingers go numb in cold weather, or a dentist numbs your gum with a small injection. Put under is informal and specifically means making someone unconscious for a major operation (general anaesthesia), whereas anaesthetise covers both local and general. Desensitise suggests gradually reducing sensitivity over time, often in non-medical contexts like becoming desensitised to violence. Sedate means calming someone with drugs, reducing awareness but not necessarily blocking pain — a sedated patient may still feel discomfort.

numb ↗put underdesensitise ↗sedate

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • anaesthetise before surgery
  • anaesthetised for the procedure

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekFrenchLatinEnglish

Formed from the Greek elements an- ('without') and aisthēsis ('sensation, feeling'), combined to create the medical concept of 'loss of sensation'. It entered English in the 19th century via French anesthésie and medical Latin anaesthesia, at the time when surgical anaesthesia was first developed. The British spelling keeps the 'ae' from the Latin; American English simplified it to 'e' (anesthetize).