1
as in sturdy
able to withstand hardship, strain, or exposure
hardened from years of deprivation and grief, the man regarded the house fire as just another misfortune in a life filled with them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stubborn
sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
hardened cynics regarded those TV shows as being anything but reality-based
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in froze
to become physically firm or solid
the glue begins to harden as soon as it is exposed to air
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in strengthened
to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure
pioneer women who had been hardened by years of living on the plains
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in toughened
to increase the ability of (as a muscle) to exert physical force
arm muscles that were hardened by all the years of casting and hauling his fishing nets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in stiffened
to make more harsh, uncompromising, or severe
the government hardened restrictions on travel to and from the war-torn nation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hardened
Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2025
If this group of hardened degenerates was able to enjoy the action at this level, who, exactly, are the spiritual victims of sports betting?
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025
The facility was upgraded to a maximum-security prison and began housing some of the state's most hardened criminals, including those transferred from other facilities.
—Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 4 Nov. 2025
The extruder gears and rods are made from hardened steel, which resists wear.
—PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
For hardened drops, saturate a cotton ball and place it on the drop for several minutes before wiping away.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
Sullivan, the drill instructor whose hardened exterior conceals his own private battles.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Mann’s Heat starred Al Pacino as a hardened Los Angeles cop named Vincent Hanna who, ignoring his deteriorating personal life, is obsessed with tracking down career criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro), who wants to pull off one last heist before retiring.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025
Those hardened positions have quashed behind-the-scenes efforts by a group of moderate Democrats and Republicans to work out some sort of mutual understanding or soft deal to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 30 Sep. 2025
Nik Popli, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
It had been hardened too much for an emotion so soft.
—Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
And his immigration policies seem only to have hardened since then.
—Patricia Lopez, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
Some people are emotionally exhausted; others appear to have hardened their hearts.
—Helen Rummel, AZCentral.com, 20 Oct. 2025
These are produced by precisely laying fiber strips in a mold, which is hardened using resins or other plastics to form a component.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2025
For Palestinians, refugee camps have hardened into towns, and checkpoints into landmarks.
—Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
Set aside at room temperature until hardened.
—Kathryn Gregory, Louisville Courier Journal, 14 Oct. 2025
If picked too early, before the skin has fully hardened, the squash may not be sweet and could be underdeveloped.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Still, some military analysts remain cautious, noting that satellites are built to endure intense cosmic radiation with hardened components and shielding, leaving open the question of whether such directed energy could penetrate these defenses.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2025
If this group of hardened degenerates was able to enjoy the action at this level, who, exactly, are the spiritual victims of sports betting?
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025
The facility was upgraded to a maximum-security prison and began housing some of the state's most hardened criminals, including those transferred from other facilities.
—Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 4 Nov. 2025
The extruder gears and rods are made from hardened steel, which resists wear.
—PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
For hardened drops, saturate a cotton ball and place it on the drop for several minutes before wiping away.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
Sullivan, the drill instructor whose hardened exterior conceals his own private battles.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Mann’s Heat starred Al Pacino as a hardened Los Angeles cop named Vincent Hanna who, ignoring his deteriorating personal life, is obsessed with tracking down career criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro), who wants to pull off one last heist before retiring.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025
Those hardened positions have quashed behind-the-scenes efforts by a group of moderate Democrats and Republicans to work out some sort of mutual understanding or soft deal to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
Johnson’s own tone has hardened as the week has worn on.
—Nik Popli, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
It had been hardened too much for an emotion so soft.
—Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
And his immigration policies seem only to have hardened since then.
—Patricia Lopez, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
Some people are emotionally exhausted; others appear to have hardened their hearts.
—Helen Rummel, AZCentral.com, 20 Oct. 2025
These are produced by precisely laying fiber strips in a mold, which is hardened using resins or other plastics to form a component.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2025
For Palestinians, refugee camps have hardened into towns, and checkpoints into landmarks.
—Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
Set aside at room temperature until hardened.
—Kathryn Gregory, Louisville Courier Journal, 14 Oct. 2025
If picked too early, before the skin has fully hardened, the squash may not be sweet and could be underdeveloped.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardened
Adjective
-
Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Seek shelter in a sturdy structure until the storm has passed.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
That tone—of pain, of surprise, of a stubborn refusal to be reduced or diminished—is everywhere in it.—
Questlove,
The Atlantic,
7 Nov. 2025
-
If the stain is stubborn, add a few drops of dish soap to the water and vinegar mixture.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
And hell froze over for the Eagles.—
Lex Goldstein,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The legislation froze most spending at prior-year levels, resulting in underfunding for the entire judicial branch, but specifically Defender Services.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The storm has strengthened into the equivalent of a Category 4 Hurricane and is expected to hit central Vietnam Thursday night — an area that hasn’t yet recovered from disastrous flash flooding and landslides caused by weeks of record rainfall and successive storms.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Mexican Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch has said several operations already underway in Michoacán, including arresting those involved in organized crime, would be strengthened.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
But Vance Joseph's unit adjusted and stiffened quickly, shouldering the entire weight of a football game.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Drew stiffened as Theo Wiggins headed his way.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Overwintering 'Lemon-Lime' Nandina 'Lemon-Lime' Nandina is winter hardy through USDA zone 6.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The hardy pupfish are capable of surviving harsh temperatures and severe water conditions that would kill most other fish species, but their population has declined primarily due to habitat loss.—
Shaun McKinnon,
AZCentral.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The attorney general was adamant that if Running Fence broke the law, workers would be arrested and jailed, and contractors would lose their licenses.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Lownie is adamant that their friendship dates back to 1991.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Flash flooding currents are strong and can sweep drivers off roadways.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Nov. 2025
-
But despite strong technical progress, widespread adoption remains challenging due to cost, infrastructure demands, and limited technological maturity.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hardened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardened. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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