harden

[ hahr-dn ]
See synonyms for harden on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object)
  1. to make hard or harder: to harden steel.

  2. to make pitiless or unfeeling: to harden one's heart.

  1. to make rigid or unyielding; stiffen: The rigors of poverty hardened his personality.

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

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

  4. 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.

  1. to become rigid or unyielding; stiffen: His personality hardened over the years.

  2. to become confirmed or strengthened: His resistance hardened.

  3. to become inured or toughened: The troops hardened under constant fire.

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

    • to cease to fluctuate; firm: When the speculators withdrew from the market, the prices hardened.

    • to rise higher.

Origin of harden

1
Middle English word dating back to 1150–1200; see origin at hard, -en1

Other words for harden

Opposites for harden

Other words from harden

  • hard·en·a·ble, adjective
  • hard·en·a·bil·i·ty, noun
  • o·ver·hard·en, verb
  • pre·hard·en, verb (used with object)
  • re·hard·en, verb
  • un·hard·en, verb (used with object)
  • un·hard·en·a·ble, adjective

Words Nearby harden

Other definitions for Harden (2 of 2)

Harden
[ hahr-dn ]

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use harden in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for harden (1 of 2)

harden1

/ (ˈhɑːdən) /


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

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

  1. to make or become stronger or firmer: they hardened defences

  2. to make or become more resolute or set: hardened in his resolve

  3. (intr) commerce

    • (of prices, a market, etc) to cease to fluctuate

    • (of price) to rise higher

British Dictionary definitions for harden (2 of 2)

harden2

/ (ˈhɑːdən) /


noun
  1. a rough fabric made from hards

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012