to make hard or harder.
to harden steel.
to make pitiless or unfeeling.
to harden one's heart.
to make rigid or unyielding; stiffen.
The rigors of poverty hardened his personality.
to strengthen or confirm, especially with reference to character, intentions, feelings, etc.; reinforce.
to make hardy, robust, or capable of endurance; toughen.
Military. to reinforce the structure of (a military or strategic installation) to protect it from nuclear bombardment.
to become hard or harder.
to become pitiless or unfeeling.
to become rigid or unyielding; stiffen.
His personality hardened over the years.
to become confirmed or strengthened.
His resistance hardened.
to become inured or toughened.
The troops hardened under constant fire.
Commerce. (of a market, prices, etc.)
to cease to fluctuate; firm.
When the speculators withdrew from the market, the prices hardened.
to rise higher.
to make or become hard or harder; freeze, stiffen, or set
to make or become more hardy, tough, or unfeeling
to make or become stronger or firmer
they hardened defences
to make or become more resolute or set
hardened in his resolve
(intr) commerce
(of prices, a market, etc) to cease to fluctuate
(of price) to rise higher
Middle English word dating back to 1150–1200; see origin at hard, -en 1
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Brown knew that Brunson was among the best one-on-one scorers in the NBA, and that Cleveland guard James Harden was notoriously slow-footed on defense.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
The Knicks set screens to force Harden to switch onto Brunson—and then got out of the way to let their leader go to work.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
Luke Harden, 36, died on Newchurch Road in Bacup, Lancashire, shortly after midnight on 1 November.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
The member of the public called for an ambulance himself and, along with Matabiswana's girlfriend, administered first aid to an unresponsive Harden.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
“Madam, Mrs. Harden says she has sent up the usual quantity.”
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
