harden

¹

[hahr-dn]

verb (used with object)

1. to make hard or harder.

   to harden steel.

   Synonyms: ossify, petrify, indurate, solidify
   Antonyms: soften

2. to make pitiless or unfeeling.

   to harden one's heart.

3. to make rigid or unyielding; stiffen.

   The rigors of poverty hardened his personality.

4. to strengthen or confirm, especially with reference to character, intentions, feelings, etc.; reinforce.

   Synonyms: nerve, brace, steel, fortify
   Antonyms: weaken

5. to make hardy, robust, or capable of endurance; toughen.

6. Military.,  to reinforce the structure of (a military or strategic installation) to protect it from nuclear bombardment.

verb (used without object)

1. to become hard or harder.

2. to become pitiless or unfeeling.

3. to become rigid or unyielding; stiffen.

   His personality hardened over the years.

4. to become confirmed or strengthened.

   His resistance hardened.

5. to become inured or toughened.

   The troops hardened under constant fire.

6. Commerce.,  (of a market, prices, etc.)

   1. to cease to fluctuate; firm.

      When the speculators withdrew from the market, the prices hardened.

   2. to rise higher.

Harden

²

[hahr-dn]

noun

1. Sir Arthur, 1865–1940, English biochemist: Nobel Prize 1929.

harden

¹

/ ˈhɑːdən /

verb

1. to make or become hard or harder; freeze, stiffen, or set

2. to make or become more hardy, tough, or unfeeling

3. to make or become stronger or firmer

   they hardened defences

4. to make or become more resolute or set

   hardened in his resolve

5. (intr) commerce

   1. (of prices, a market, etc) to cease to fluctuate

   2. (of price) to rise higher

harden

²

/ ˈhɑːdən /

noun

1. a rough fabric made from hards

Other Word Forms

• hardenable adjective
• hardenability noun
• overharden verb
• preharden verb (used with object)
• reharden verb
• unharden verb (used with object)
• unhardenable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of harden¹

Middle English word dating back to 1150–1200; hard, -en ¹

Example Sentences

It is “committed to wildfire mitigation through grid hardening, situational awareness and enhanced operational practices.”

From Los Angeles Times

The process involves intense ultraviolet lights that cure and harden the ink, ultimately searing it into the printing material.

From Los Angeles Times

She’s renovating the property to bring it up to seismic and ADA standards, harden it against wildfires and install a septic tank for a guest house.

From Los Angeles Times

The stag's antlers, now fully hardened and velvet‑free, regrow each spring, becoming more impressive with each year as new points called tines develop.

From BBC

But he must or those boos we heard in the first half will grow, those doubts that Rangers folk have about him will harden, and his life will get even more difficult.

From BBC