Unacclimatize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To lose or reverse the physiological or environmental adjustments previously made to a new climate or condition, ceasing to be adapted to it
2. The process of becoming unadapted to a once-familiar climate or environment by shedding prior acclimatization or tolerance
3. To undergo a change where previous bodily or habitual adjustments to a particular setting revert, resulting in diminished acclimation or readiness for that environment

Etymology: "Unacclimatize" is a straightforward formation: the prefix "un-", which reverses an action, attached to "acclimatize." The older verb comes from the French "acclimater," meaning to adapt to a new climate, which combines "à" (to) with "climat." That French noun descends from Greek "klima," literally "inclination" or "slope," a word Greek geographers used for bands of latitude, since the sun's angle set the warmth of each band. Here "un-" undoes a process rather than negating a quality. Someone who unacclimatizes has not failed to adjust to a place. They adjusted, and then the adjustment wore away once they left that setting.

Synonyms: deacclimate, readjust, reverse acclimatization

Antonyms: acclimatize, adapt, adjust, habituate, acclimate