Unsee

To consciously choose or be forced to disregard, suppress, or forget a sight, image, or experience that one has encountered. This can involve actively trying to erase a memory from one's mind or to passively allow it to fade. The act of 'unseeing' is often triggered by something disturbing, traumatic, unpleasant, or simply overwhelming, leaving the individual with a desire to detach from the sensory impact of what they witnessed. The goal is usually to regain emotional equilibrium or to avoid the negative consequences associated with recalling the event.

Unsee meaning with examples

• After witnessing the accident, Sarah desperately wanted to unsee the mangled metal and terrified faces. She focused on the chirping birds to push the images from her mind, hoping they would fade. The constant replays of that moment caused sleepless nights and recurring nightmares, forcing her to seek professional help to eventually unsee it.
• The graphic imagery in the horror film was so intense that many viewers, including John, would be scarred, and desperately wanted to unsee the violence. They covered their eyes during the gruesome scenes and talked the matter over amongst themselves in an effort to mentally escape the ordeal, eventually vowing never to view anything similar again.
• As the scandal broke, the company president attempted to unsee the damage done to their reputation. He desperately attempted to downplay and bury the revelations through public relations maneuvers, hoping the public would quickly unsee the bad press and that the company's share price would be unaffected and stabilize.
• After the surprise party, the guest attempted to unsee the damage in her friends flat. She focused on the pleasant memory of the laughter and the joyous celebrations, knowing that seeing the mess would cause embarrassment to all and the situation needed to be carefully handled with patience and consideration in the following days.