toughen
Americanverb (used with or without object)
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toughens,
present (3rd person singular)
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toughened,
past participle, past
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toughening
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
toughensimple
-
toughenssimple
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have toughenedperfect
-
has toughenedperfect
-
am tougheningprogressive
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are tougheningprogressive
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is tougheningprogressive
-
have been tougheningperfect progressive
-
has been tougheningperfect progressive
Past
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toughenedsimple
-
had toughenedperfect
-
was tougheningprogressive
-
were tougheningprogressive
-
had been tougheningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of toughen
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.
See Examples For:
Singapore's parliament moved on Wednesday to toughen its anti-haze law with arrest powers, bigger fines and potential restrictions on companies linked to transboundary air pollution from wildfires.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
The findings come as state officials are proposing to overhaul decades-old pesticide regulations to toughen enforcement and standardize penalties.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
Hurley’s brutal training sessions do more than toughen his team up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
You've got to toughen up and get on with it, but you know, the senior boys were great...
From BBC ● Mar. 21, 2026
Then I rebuilt the tower, smoothly aligning its walls to toughen it against future invasions.
From "The Rock and the River" by Kekla Magoon
The act toughens the law on age verification online, another inquiry recommendation.
From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2025
The Sixers’ schedule toughens up next week with a game against Chicago, the 12th team in the East.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 11, 2023
They are challenging to get rid of, too: The eggs are protected inside the mother’s body, which toughens after death into a cyst that can survive in the soil for years.
From Science Magazine ● Feb. 27, 2022
Wednesday's draft toughens this up for over-50s by removing the option of taking a test rather than vaccination.
From Reuters ● Jan. 5, 2022
The only thing that changed is that he calls me Space Boy twice as often, which only toughens my resolve not to press the button.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
What is different this time is they think the modelling is outdated, and the language seems to have toughened.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
"I can say with absolute certainty that to raise creatures able to survive nature's harshness, they must be toughened up while growing up," Kinjo, 56, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
He’s been promoted several times at the small company he works at—he’s been earning his own way after college—and says he’s found mentors there and toughened up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026
The tower uses 33 colors across 300 panels, made from the same toughened plastic used for fighter jet windscreens.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026
Torak took the spear uncertainly, and watched in puzzlement as Oslak strapped the toughened hide round his right forearm for him.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
McVay understands that the “old-school way” of toughening and preparing players for a season can be achieved without “killing us on the field,” Adams said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
"It's hard for me to understand why the human heart is so hard," is the priest's take on toughening attitudes in Europe to migration.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
Several nations are toughening up age restrictions on social media platforms as concerns grow over excessive screen time for children and their exposure to harmful content online.
From Barron's ● Mar. 11, 2026
Legal scholars, however, say the recent criticism of provisional sentences ignores more than a decade of legislation and jurisprudence aimed at toughening up a legal system that can take years to reach a final verdict.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2025
At night, with Crane-man’s careful ministrations, the wound on Tree-ear’s hand would begin to heal, the tender pink layer toughening slightly.
From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
