Synonyms

toughen

American

[tuhf-uhn] / ˈtʌf ən /

verb (used with or without object)

to make or become tough or tougher.

Synonyms:

stiffen, strengthen, firm, harden

toughen British

/ ˈtʌfən /

verb

to make or become tough or tougher

"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

Other Word Forms

toughener

noun

Etymology

Origin of toughen

First recorded in 1575–85; tough + -en ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Toughen up Seattle and do the right thing and kick these people out.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 22, 2022

Green had positioned himself at a bottle station, and as she made her final loop of the circuit, he shouted “Rule 5!” at her, which was essentially code for: Toughen up!

From New York Times • Nov. 6, 2021

Toughen up and learn how to navigate your way through a jughandle one time for me.

From Golf Digest • Aug. 9, 2019

Toughen up like the tough cookie you are, and make a determination not to be exposed to this condescension.

From Washington Post • Mar. 17, 2017

Toughen and kiln-dry in a couple days in a mild but unvarying temperature.

From A Tramp Abroad — Volume 07 by Twain, Mark

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023