coarsen
verb (used with or without object)
to make or become coarse.
coarsening
-
present participleof coarsen.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
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.
It is shocking to read here of the coarsening and corrupting effect of such spectacles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
The coarsening and outright collapse of public standards this millennium is so astonishing that it is hard to describe the world back then to “digital natives.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
Well, who was single-handedly responsible for coarsening the discourse at the Supreme Court for a very long time?
From Slate ● Feb. 13, 2026
In her recent New York Times article about the "coarsening" of the religious right, Ruth Graham alluded to this, writing about the trend of evangelical leaders using "vulgarities."
From Salon ● Apr. 1, 2024
Now he was used to such things, a roadside commonplace, but back then, before the coarsening and general numbness, when it was a novelty and when everything was new, he felt it sharply.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
