harden

verb

hard·​en ˈhär-dᵊn How to pronounce harden (audio)
hardened; hardening ˈhärd-niŋ How to pronounce harden (audio)
ˈhär-dᵊn-iŋ

transitive verb

1
: to make hard or harder
2
: to confirm in disposition, feelings, or action
especially : to make callous
hardened his heart
3
a
: inure, toughen
harden troops
b
: to inure to unfavorable environmental conditions (such as cold)
often used with off
harden off seedlings before transplanting
4
: to protect from blast, heat, or radiation (as by a thick barrier or placement underground)

intransitive verb

1
: to become hard or harder
2
a
: to become firm, stable, or settled
b
: to assume an appearance of harshness or severity
her face hardened at the thought
3
: to become gradually acclimatized to unfavorable conditions
often used with off
plants hardened off before the first frost

Example Sentences

The presence of certain substances in the blood can cause the arteries to harden. These additives are designed to harden the steel. substances that can harden the arteries The news has hardened opposition to the government. He had been hardened by his years of military service.
Recent Examples on the Web The nation’s long-term fiscal outlook continues to be problematic and could only harden the Republican position that the government must rein in spending. Alan Rappeport, BostonGlobe.com, 12 May 2023 On Capitol Hill, Republicans in recent days have hardened in their refusal to act unless the president first agrees to spending cuts, defying Biden, who has accused GOP lawmakers of holding the nation’s credit hostage. Tony Romm, Washington Post, 8 May 2023 Or are these gender binaries themselves further hardened by Dederer’s curation of examples: Obvious male culprits are perp-walked through the pages, while obvious female culprits seem to get shielded. Laura Kipnis, The New Republic, 5 May 2023 Unless the flesh on Teddy's mangled chest hardened to Kevlar, and he's mastered some CIA trick to play dead, he's gone. Keith Nelson, Men's Health, 13 Apr. 2023 While pouring billions of dollars into arming Ukraine, its supporters, led by the United States, have increasingly isolated Russia, economically and diplomatically, while hardening the NATO alliance. Matthew Mpoke Bigg, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2023 Instead, positions seemed to be hardening as company executives began working on contingency plans and writers marched in picket lines around Los Angeles and in New York. Anousha Sakoui, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2023 The revelations threaten to pitch already sour US-China relations into further crisis, and had the immediate effect of hardening bipartisan suspicion about Beijing on Capitol Hill in a way that will have serious diplomatic implications. Stephen Collinson, CNN, 17 Apr. 2023 What began as a soft war over in-person work after cities around the country reopened from pandemic shutdowns has started to harden. Emma Goldberg, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'harden.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of harden was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near harden

Cite this Entry

“Harden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harden. Accessed 1 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

harden

verb
hard·​en ˈhärd-ᵊn How to pronounce harden (audio)
hardened; hardening ˈhärd-niŋ How to pronounce harden (audio)
-ᵊn-iŋ
1
: to make or become hard or harder
2
: to make unfeeling or unsympathetic
hardened his heart
3
: to make or become hardy or strong
muscles hardened by exercise
4
: to protect from blast, heat, or radiation (as by a thick barrier or by placing underground)
hardened missile sites
5
a
: to become firm, stable, or settled
b
: to express harshness
hardener
ˈhärd-nər
-ᵊn-ər
noun

Biographical Definition

Harden 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Har·​den ˈhär-dᵊn How to pronounce Harden (audio)
Sir Arthur 1865–1940 English chemist

Harden

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Maximilian 1861–1927 originally Felix Ernst Witkowski German writer

More from Merriam-Webster on harden

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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