harden

[hahr-dn] / ˈhɑr dn /

VERB

make or become solid

Synonyms

STRONG

amalgamate anneal bake brace buttress cake calcify callous cement close clot coagulate compact congeal consolidate contract crystallize curdle dry firm fix fortify fossilize freeze gird indurate jell nerve ossify petrify precipitate press reinforce set settle solidify starch steel stiffen strengthen temper thicken toughen vitrify

WEAK

densify

Antonyms

STRONG

continue dilute discourage dishearten disjoin dissolve dissuade divide enlarge flex hurt let go liquefy loosen melt open separate soften thin unfix unsettle upset weaken

WEAK

be intolerant indulge spoil

VERB

accustom

Synonyms

STRONG

acclimate acclimatize adapt adjust blunt brutalize callous callus coarsen conform deaden develop discipline dull embitter habituate indurate inure numb paralyze roughen season steel stiffen strengthen stun stupefy teach train

WEAK

case-harden climatize make callous render insensitive

Antonyms

STRONG

disarrange disorder enliven neglect unfit weaken

WEAK

be intolerant indulge liquefy melt soften spoil

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

We have hardened our infrastructure and built an oil pipeline to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

From The Wall Street Journal

Demands have also hardened on the other side.

From BBC

“They’ve been hardened, apparently, by this war, and they don’t show any signs of yielding.”

From Salon

These can cause hardening of the transplant organs and lead to complications.

From BBC

City life has hardened her daughters and granddaughters in all the wrong ways and made them too soft in others.

From Salon