hardened

[ hahr-dnd ]

/ ˈhɑr dnd /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR hardened ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

made or become hard or harder.

pitiless; unfeeling.

firmly established or unlikely to change; inveterate: a hardened criminal.

inured; toughened: a hardened trooper.

rigid; unyielding: a hardened attitude.

(of a missile base) equipped to launch missiles from underground silos.

(of a missile) capable of being launched from an underground silo.

Nearby words

harden up, hardenberg, hardenberg, friedrich von, hardenbergia, hardenburg, hardened, hardener, hardening, hardening of arteries, hardening of the arteries, hardhack

Origin of hardened

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; see origin at harden, -ed²

Related formssem·i·hard·ened, adjectiveun·hard·ened, adjectivewell-hard·ened, adjective

Definition for hardened (2 of 2)

harden

[ hahr-dn ]

/ ˈhɑr dn /

verb (used with object)

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.

verb (used without object)

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.

Origin of harden

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

SYNONYMS FOR harden

1 solidify, indurate; petrify, ossify.

4 fortify, steel, brace, nerve.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR harden ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR harden

1 soften.

4 weaken.

SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR harden ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

hard·en·a·ble, adjectivehard·en·a·bil·i·ty, nouno·ver·hard·en, verbpre·hard·en, verb (used with object)

re·hard·en, verbun·hard·en, verb (used with object)un·hard·en·a·ble, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hardened

Many of them are convicted drug dealers and other hardened criminals.
An American Marine in Iran’s Prisons Goes on Hunger Strike|IranWire|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She reportedly told them, “Sophie Lyons is a hardened criminal, and too smart to be caught like this.”
Meet 'The Queen of Thieves' Marm Mandelbaum, New York City's First Mob Boss|J. North Conway|September 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A comedy titan who was always the center of attention, amusing even the most hardened of cynics with his manic energy.
Robin Williams, Hollywood’s Grand Jester, Is Dead at 63|Marlow Stern|August 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I maximize time in hardened buildings and only return to my thin-walled quarters for sleep.
Dodging Rockets in Afghanistan as the Taliban’s Fighting Season Begins|Nick Willard|May 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Valiant was a man beaten down by life, but not enough to be hardened.
Remembering Bob Hoskins, the Burly British Star of ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit,’ Who Died at 71|Lorenza Muñoz|April 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In high school he had sought to establish himself as a hardened sinner—a drinker and tough citizen.
Gargoyles|Ben Hecht
Thus he hardened his heart to the evil work; nor did the chiefs have pity on her for all that she was young and fair exceedingly.
Stories from the Greek Tragedians|Alfred Church
After the filler has hardened the wood may be waxed or varnished.
A Course In Wood Turning|Archie S. Milton and Otto K. Wohlers
These are hardened in the fire, and sharpened, and when so prepared, they will pierce through armour easier than if made of iron.
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. I|Robert Kerr
Are you going to build a house on the mound of hardened garbage?
A Dictionary of Cebuano Visayan|John U. Wolff

British Dictionary definitions for hardened (1 of 3)

hardened

/ (ˈhɑːdənd) /

adjective

rigidly set, as in a mode of behaviour

toughened, as by custom; seasoned

(of a nuclear missile site) constructed to withstand a nuclear attack

British Dictionary definitions for hardened (2 of 3)

harden

/ (ˈhɑːdən) /

verb

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 firmerthey hardened defences

to make or become more resolute or sethardened in his resolve

(intr) commerce

(of prices, a market, etc) to cease to fluctuate
(of price) to rise higher

British Dictionary definitions for hardened (3 of 3)

harden

/ (ˈhɑːdən) /

noun

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

Word Origin and History for hardened

harden

c.1200 (replacing Old English heardian) "to make (something) hard," from hard + -en (1). Meaning "to become hard" is late 14c. Related: Hardened (figurative sense of "unfeeling" is from late 14c.); hardening.

hardened

adjective

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of hardened

Definition for hardened (2 of 2)

harden

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Origin of harden

Examples from the Web for hardened

British Dictionary definitions for hardened (1 of 3)

hardened

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for hardened (2 of 3)

harden

verb

British Dictionary definitions for hardened (3 of 3)

harden

noun

Word Origin and History for hardened

harden