acclimatize

verb

ac·​cli·​ma·​tize ə-ˈklī-mə-ˌtīz 

acclimatized; acclimatizing; acclimatizes

transitive + intransitive

: to adapt (someone or something) or become adapted to a new temperature, altitude, climate, environment, or situation : acclimate

… acclimatizing a tree to a new place …

—Carol Cloud Bailey

Still, even climbers who work patiently at acclimatizing themselves never feel great, never feel as well and energetic as they do at sea level.

—Douglas Gantenbein

When we arrived in Arequipa, which is 8,000 feet above sea level, we stopped for two days to acclimatize to the altitude.

—Frederick Engle

acclimatization

ə-ˌklī-mə-tə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

acclimatizer noun

Synonyms of acclimatize

• adapt
• adjust
• tailor
• conform
• put
• suit

Examples of acclimatize in a Sentence

The mountain climbers spent a few days acclimatizing themselves to the high altitude.

had lived through several northern winters before she fully acclimatized her wardrobe

Recent Examples on the Web

Another nuance to consider is workers’ varied ability to acclimatize, Curtarelli notes. — Oliver Balch, Fortune, 27 July 2026

The priceless cargo will spend several days acclimatizing before it is carefully unpacked and unfolded for an exhibition that the museum expects to be one of the most popular in its history. — ABC News, 10 July 2026

Sinner will hope Monday’s win was similarly more a reflection of nerves and acclimatizing to the Wimbledon grass rather than an indicator of more trouble ahead. — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 29 June 2026

That’s why many of the teams have set themselves up in temporary training camps across the continent, almost like boot camps to acclimatize the players to extreme conditions. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 8 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

ad- + climate + -ize (perhaps modeled on French acclimater) — more at acclimate

First Known Use

1802, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for acclimatize

• actualize
• antagonize
• apologise
• apologize
• capitalize
• categorize
• characterize
• commercialize
• conceptualize
• contrariwise
• criminalize
• decentralize

Kids Definition

acclimatize

verb

ac·​cli·​ma·​tize ə-ˈklī-mə-ˌtīz 

acclimatized; acclimatizing

: acclimate

acclimatization

ə-ˌklī-mət-ə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

acclimatize

verb

ac·​cli·​ma·​tize

variants or British acclimatise

ə-ˈklī-mə-ˌtīz 

acclimatized or British acclimatised; acclimatizing or British acclimatising

transitive verb

: to adapt to a new temperature, altitude, climate, environment, or situation

intransitive verb

: to become acclimatized

acclimatization noun

or British acclimatisation

ə-ˌklī-mət-ə-ˈzā-shən