steel

1 to fill with courage or strength of purpose hoped that his inspirational talk would steel the youths in the pursuit of their dreams Synonyms bear up, buck up, buoy (up), cheer (up), chirk (up), embolden, hearten, inspire, inspirit, encourageRelated Words animate, enliven, invigorate; enforce, fortify, reinforce (also reenforce), strengthen; assure, reassure; boost, energize, excite, galvanize, provoke, quicken, rally, stimulate, stirNear Antonyms demoralize, depress, sadden; debilitate, enfeeble, hamstring, undermine, weaken; intimidate, psych (out)Antonyms daunt, discourage, dishearten, dispirit

2 to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure years of running a farm had steeled the hard-bitten woman Synonyms fortify, indurate, inure, season, harden, strengthen, toughenRelated Words acclimate, acclimatize, adapt, adjust; anneal, temper; invigorate, vitalize; immunize; bolster, boost, brace, buttress, enforce, forearm, prop (up), reinforce (also reenforce), support; break in, limber (up), train; accustom, condition, habituate, naturalizeNear Antonyms emasculate, enervate, enfeeble, exhaust, sap, weaken; cripple, debilitate, hamstring, incapacitate; sensitizeAntonyms soften

3 to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally he had spent the previous night steeling himself for the moment when he would demand a raise Synonyms brace, forearm, nerve, poise, psych (up), ready, fortify, strengthenRelated Words arm; harden, inure, season, toughen; bolster, boost, buoy (up), buttress, enforce, prop (up), reinforce (also reenforce), support, sustain; cheer (up), comfort, embolden, encourage, hearten, inspire; rally, rouse, stirNear Antonyms daunt, demoralize, discourage, dishearten, dispirit, psych (out), shake, unnerve; debilitate, enervate, enfeeble, prostrate, sap, soften, tire, undercut, undermine, weaken