toughen

play

verb tough·en \ ˈtə-fən \

Definition of toughen

toughened; toughening play \ˈtə-fə-niŋ, ˈtəf-niŋ\

transitive verb

:to make tough

intransitive verb

:to become tough

See toughen defined for English-language learners

See toughen defined for kids

Examples of toughen in a Sentence

The government is toughening antidrug laws.
weight lifting will help toughen those flabby muscles of yours

Recent Examples of toughen from the Web

Just be sure to stick to the 30-minute marinade in any case, since going longer can toughen the flesh.

— anya tchoupakov, Bon Appetit, "25 Recipes That Prove Cooking Fish Doesn't Have to Be Scary," 28 Aug. 2017
Just be sure to stick to the 30-minute marinade in any case, since going longer can toughen the flesh.

— anya tchoupakov, Bon Appetit, "25 Recipes That Prove Cooking Fish Doesn't Have to Be Scary," 28 Aug. 2017
Kansas earlier this year voted to toughen its rules following the death of the son of a state legislator there.

— james pilcher, Cincinnati.com, "Are our fair rides safe?," 28 July 2017
In recent years the penalties for carrying knives have been toughened, but this may have encouraged crooks to turn to alternative weapons.

— The Economist, "New fears, old menaceAcid attacks have a long history in Britain," 20 July 2017
At the same time, U.S. allies in the Gulf are engaged in a diplomatic spat and Congress is considering legislation to toughen non-nuclear sanctions against Iran.

— nick wadhams, Bloomberg.com, "U.S. Says Iran Meets the Letter But Not Spirit of Nuclear Deal," 18 July 2017
Unsure how that is measured, but Big 12 bottom feeders haven’t toughened up in non-league games, so that claim is a stretch.

— blair kerkhoff, kansascity, "For Big 12 football title hopes, both results and perception matter," 17 July 2017
Just be sure to stick to the 30-minute marinade in any case, since going longer can toughen the flesh.

— anya tchoupakov, Bon Appetit, "22 Healthy Weeknight Recipes That Are Faster Than Waiting For Takeout," 14 July 2017
A rap song that Gaza’s heard from some local boys, for example, seems to toughen Gaza’s resolve and at one point serves as a way to prep him for a possible confrontation with his father.

— boyd van hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter, "'More' ('Daha'): Film Review | Karlovy Vary 2017," 14 July 2017

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

First Known Use of toughen

1582

toughen Synonyms

Synonyms

beef (up), fortify, harden, strengthen

Antonyms

debilitate, enervate, enfeeble, weaken

Related Words

anneal, temper; firm (up), tone (up); energize, invigorate, vitalize; restrengthen

Near Antonyms

cripple, incapacitate, paralyze; damage, harm, hurt, impair, injure; break down, wear out; sap, undercut, undermine

TOUGHEN Defined for English Language Learners

toughen

play

verb

Definition of toughen for English Language Learners

: to make (something) stricter or to become stricter
: to make (someone) physically or emotionally stronger or to become physically or emotionally stronger