definitions

coarsen

[ kawr-suh n, kohr- ]
/ ˈkɔr sən, ˈkoʊr- /
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR coarsen ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with or without object)

to make or become coarse.

RELATED WORDS

dehumanize, demoralize, swell, broaden, augment, pervert, debase, debauch, warp, harden, vitiate, deprave, animalize, feed, thicken, bloat, distend, wax, increase, spread

Nearby words

coarctate, coarctation, coarse, coarse fish, coarse-grained, coarsen, coarser, coarticulation, coast, coast artillery, coast guard

Origin of coarsen

First recorded in 1795–1805; coarse + -en1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for coarsen

coarsen

/ (ˈkɔːsən) /

verb

to make or become coarse
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

Word Origin and History for coarsen

coarsen

v.

1805, from coarse + -en (2). Related: Coarsened; coarsening.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper