harden

verb

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hard·en | \ ˈhär-dᵊn

hardened; hardening\ ˈhärd-niŋ

, ˈhär-dᵊn-iŋ \

Definition of harden

(Entry 1 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to make hard or harder

2 : to confirm in disposition, feelings, or action especially : to make callous hardened his heart

3a : inure, toughen harden troops

b : to inure to unfavorable environmental conditions (such as cold) —often used with offharden 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

2a : 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 offplants hardened off before the first frost

Harden

biographical name (1)

Har·den | \ ˈhär-dᵊn

Definition of Harden (Entry 2 of 3)

Sir Arthur 1865–1940 English chemist

Harden

biographical name (2)

Definition of Harden (Entry 3 of 3)

Maximilian 1861–1927 originally Felix Ernst Witkowski German writer

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about harden

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Examples of harden in a Sentence

Verb 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: Verb But that exceptionalism can harden us to the humanity of other people and to their concerns. — The Atlantic, "Listen: Serenity Now," 18 June 2020 As bystanders continued to weigh in on social media, divisions on the board seemed to harden. — Rachel Swan, SFChronicle.com, "A national reckoning over police violence hits BART, again," 13 June 2020 The volatile and complex proxy war arena of Jammu and Kashmir has further helped the Indian army to battle-harden its soldiers. — CNN, "Beijing's military adventurism in the Himalayas is risky. The world is big enough for the rise of India and China," 4 June 2020 Family ties strengthened, appreciations were created and hardened. — Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Paul Daugherty: This is a time for extraordinary gratitude," 19 May 2020 Refrigerate for 1–6 hours, covering with plastic wrap when chocolate shell hardens. — Eric Velasco, al, "How to make simple icebox pies for summer," 7 May 2020 For some experts in nuclear issues, the year ahead now opens the door to serious discussion of ways of fortifying the NPT, particularly by hardening the consequences of member states withdrawing from the treaty, as North Korea did in 2003. — Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, "Nuclear proliferation: How coronavirus crisis is opportunity," 23 Apr. 2020 That warning hardened a recognition in Washington that the struggle against the coronavirus will not be resolved quickly even as Trump expressed a longing for normalcy. — Author: Zeke Miller, Jill Colvin, Anchorage Daily News, "After avoiding talk of death for weeks, Trump now bracing US for big toll," 30 Mar. 2020 China has become a key battleground for the 2020 election as supporters of Trump hope a hardening in public opinion offers a populist route to victory that mirrors their 2016 playbook. — Rob Crilly, Washington Examiner, "Trump team hears echoes of 2016 victory emanating from China," 19 May 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'harden.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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