Definition

1. Verb (Transitive):

   • To make something physically hard or solid: To cause a substance to become firm, rigid, or less flexible, often through a process like cooling, drying, or chemical reaction.
   • To make someone or something stronger, more resilient, or less sensitive: To cause a person, attitude, or system to become tougher, more resistant, or less susceptible to influence or emotion.

2. Verb (Intransitive):

   • To become physically hard or solid: To undergo a process where a substance transitions from a soft or liquid state to a firm or solid state.
   • To become stronger, more determined, or less sensitive: For a person's feelings, resolve, or attitude to become more fixed, severe, or unyielding.

Usage Examples

• Transitive Verb:

  • The cold night air will harden the clay. (The air will cause the clay to become solid.)
  • Years of difficult work hardened his resolve to succeed. (The work made his determination stronger.)
  • The company's policies hardened the opposition against them. (The policies made the opposition more fixed and severe.)

• Intransitive Verb:

  • The cement needs several hours to harden completely. (The cement needs time to become solid.)
  • Her expression hardened when she heard the bad news. (Her facial expression became severe and unyielding.)
  • Public opinion is hardening against the proposed law. (Public opinion is becoming more firmly fixed in opposition.)

Advanced Usage

• "Harden one's heart": To deliberately make oneself less sympathetic or compassionate.
  • He had to harden his heart to make the difficult decision.
• "Harden off" (Horticulture): To gradually acclimate a plant to outdoor conditions.
  • You should harden off the seedlings before planting them in the garden.

Variants and Related Words

• Hardened (Adjective): Made hard or tough; experienced and no longer easily shocked.
  • a hardened criminal (a seasoned, unrepentant criminal)
  • hardened steel (steel that has been treated to become very hard)
• Hardening (Noun): The process of becoming hard or the act of making something hard.
  • the hardening of arteries (a medical condition)
  • a hardening of attitudes (a trend toward more fixed opinions)

Synonyms

• Solidify: To make or become solid or hard. (Focuses on physical state change.)
• Toughen: To make or become stronger and more resilient. (Often used for people or materials.)
• Inure: To accustom someone to something unpleasant, making them less affected by it.
• Temper: To strengthen or toughen a material (like metal) through heating and cooling; can also refer to moderating or hardening attitudes.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Harden up: (Informal) To become tougher or less emotional.
  • You need to harden up if you want to survive in this business.
• Harden to: To become accustomed or less sensitive to something (similar to 'inure').
  • Over time, she hardened to the criticisms.

Related Idioms

• A hardened attitude/view: A fixed, uncompromising opinion.
  • He has a hardened attitude towards immigration reform.
• To harden the line: To adopt a stricter, less flexible position.
  • The government decided to harden the line on tax evasion.

Verb

1. cause to accept or become hardened to; habituate
   • He was inured to the cold
2. make fit
   • This trip will season even the hardiest traveller
3. harden by reheating and cooling in oil
   • temper steel
4. make hard or harder
   • The cold hardened the butter
5. become hard or harder
   • The wax hardened