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 Coach Austin Parkinson knew the tough start to the season would harden his squad, but a loss to Youngstown State in the conference opener forced him to have a heart-to-heart with his players. — Akeem Glaspie, Indianapolis Star, "13-game win streak over, IUPUI women eyeing league title and more," 20 Feb. 2020 The cold weather hardened the rings, hot gas escaped from one and hit the main fuel tank, causing a hole and fuel explosion. — Lee Roop | Lroop@al.com, al, "Federal court rejects NASA manager’s Challenger movie lawsuit," 13 Feb. 2020 In those rare cases—when there’s just hardened, blackened, caked-on stuff—Dahmen will reach for a rotary tool with an abrasive buffer before swapping the attachment for one with softer nylon bristles. — Katherine Martinelli, Popular Science, "The key to cleaning copper cookware is probably in your fridge," 24 Jan. 2020 As the concrete began to settle and harden, the four workers from the seventh floor were pulled out and taken to local hospitals. — Sharon Coolidge, Cincinnati.com, "'We will do whatever we can': Inside the search for the man buried in building collapse," 27 Nov. 2019 The harvest of its lax work in hardening its infrastructure against fire-prone vegetation during windy periods was the catastrophic fires of 2017 and 2018, the liability for which pushed the company to file for bankruptcy this year. — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, "Column: The hedge fund battle to control PG&E leaves us no one to root for," 17 Oct. 2019 Some of that money was spent sensibly, for example on hardening power stations and hospitals. — The Economist, "Climate change is a remorseless threat to the world’s coasts," 17 Aug. 2019 But despite hardening attitudes, the refugees are putting down roots, especially in border towns like Reyhanli, picking up Turkish habits and spreading their own. — The Economist, "The new Turks Syrians are putting down roots in Turkey," 6 Feb. 2020 Such suspicions only hardened after the American killing of Maj. — Vivian Yee, New York Times, "For Lebanon’s Shiites, a Dilemma: Stay Loyal to Hezbollah or Keep Protesting?," 4 Feb. 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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