Hardened — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb phrase adjective /ˈhär-dᵊn/ (verb) /ˈkās-ˌhär-dᵊn/ (verb) hard·en

Meaning & Definition of Hardened

Hardened (verb)

  1. to make hard or harder
  2. to confirm in disposition, feelings, or action; especially, to make callous
  3. inure, toughen
  4. to harden (a ferrous alloy) so that the surface layer is harder than the interior
  5. to make callous or insensible

Hardened (phrase)

  1. to stop having kind or friendly feelings for someone or caring about something

Hardened (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. 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"

    similar: cast-iron, hard, hard-bitten, hardy, inured, rugged, stout, strong, sturdy, tough, toughened, vigorous
    related: flinty, leathery, resilient, stalwart, durable, enduring, everlasting, immortal, imperishable, lasting, permanent, stable, staunch, staying, tenacious, unyielding, flourishing, prospering, thriving, able-bodied, brawny, muscular, fit, fortified, hale, healthy, husky, lusty, red-blooded, robust, sound, strapping, virile, annealed, seasoned, tempered
    opposite: delicate, nonhardy, soft, tender, weak
    near: emasculated, enervated, enfeebled, exhausted, run-down, sapped, wasted, weakened, worn, worn-out, crippled, debilitated, diseased, incapacitated, infirm, unsound, fragile, frail, puny, resistless, sensitive, susceptible, unresistant, vulnerable, yielding, mortal, perishable, temporary, transient

  2. 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"

    similar: adamant, adamantine, bullheaded, dogged, hard, hard-nosed, hardheaded, headstrong, immovable, implacable, inconvincible, inflexible, intransigent, mulish, obdurate, obstinate, opinionated, ossified, pat, pertinacious, perverse, pigheaded, self-opinionated, self-willed, stiff-necked, stubborn, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, willful, deaf to reason
    related: anal-retentive, obsessive, wayward, wrongheaded, determined, hell-bent, inexorable, persistent, relentless, resolved, set, single-minded, steadfast, stouthearted, tenacious, unflinching, firm, hard-line, hard-shell, iron, severe, stern, strict, hidebound, narrow-minded, rigid, bloody-minded (chiefly British), cantankerous, contrary, cussed, contumacious, disobedient, froward, insubordinate, intractable, recalcitrant, refractory, uncooperative, ungovernable, unmanageable, unruly, defiant, insurgent, mutinous, indomitable, invincible, unconquerable, confirmed, inveterate, unregenerate, demanding, exacting
    opposite: acquiescent, agreeable, amenable, compliant, complying, flexible, pliable, pliant, relenting, yielding
    near: docile, obedient, placable, submissive, tractable, accepting, persuadable, receptive, responsive, willing, governable, manageable, reasonable, temperate, slavish, subservient

Hardened (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to become physically firm or solid

    "the glue begins to harden as soon as it is exposed to air"

    similar: concreted, congealed, firmed (up), froze, indurated, set, solidified
    related: caked, callused, encrusted, clotted, coagulated, gelated, gelatinized, gelled, jelled, jellied, stiffened, thickened, calcified, crystallized, ossified, petrified, rigidified, annealed, case-hardened, tempered
    opposite: liquefied, softened
    near: deliquesced, dissolved, fluxed, fused, melted, smelted, thawed, unfroze

  2. to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure

    "pioneer women who had been hardened by years of living on the plains"

    similar: fortified, indurated, inured, seasoned, steeled, strengthened, toughened
    related: acclimated, acclimatized, adapted, adjusted, annealed, tempered, invigorated, vitalized, immunized, bolstered, boosted, braced, buttressed, enforced, forearmed, propped (up), reinforced, supported, broke in, limbered (up), trained, accustomed, conditioned, habituated, naturalized
    opposite: softened
    near: emasculated, enervated, enfeebled, exhausted, sapped, weakened, crippled, debilitated, hamstrung, incapacitated, sensitized

  3. 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"

    similar: beefed (up), fortified, strengthened, toughened
    related: annealed, tempered, firmed (up), toned (up), energized, invigorated, vitalized, restrengthened
    opposite: debilitated, enervated, enfeebled, weakened
    near: crippled, incapacitated, paralyzed, damaged, harmed, hurt, impaired, injured, broke down, wore out, sapped, undercut, undermined

  4. to make more harsh, uncompromising, or severe

    "the government hardened restrictions on travel to and from the war-torn nation"

    similar: harshened, stiffened, strengthened, toughened
    opposite: ameliorated, eased
    near: lessened, moderated, softened

Related Entry: Harden (verb)

Harden is a different word from Hardened. The synonyms below are for harden, not for hardened.

  1. to become physically firm or solid

    "the glue begins to harden as soon as it is exposed to air"

    similar: concrete, congeal, firm (up), freeze, indurate, set, solidify
    related: cake, callus, encrust, clot, coagulate, gel, gelate, gelatinize, jell, jelly, stiffen, thicken, calcify, crystallize, ossify, petrify, rigidify, anneal, case-harden, temper
    opposite: liquefy, soften
    near: deliquesce, dissolve, flux, fuse, melt, smelt, thaw, unfreeze

  2. to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure

    "pioneer women who had been hardened by years of living on the plains"

    similar: fortify, indurate, inure, season, steel, strengthen, toughen
    related: acclimate, acclimatize, adapt, adjust, anneal, temper, invigorate, vitalize, immunize, bolster, boost, brace, buttress, enforce, forearm, prop (up), reinforce, support, break in, limber (up), train, accustom, condition, habituate, naturalize
    opposite: soften
    near: emasculate, enervate, enfeeble, exhaust, sap, weaken, cripple, debilitate, hamstring, incapacitate, sensitize

  3. 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"

    similar: beef (up), fortify, strengthen, toughen
    related: anneal, temper, firm (up), tone (up), energize, invigorate, vitalize, restrengthen
    opposite: debilitate, enervate, enfeeble, weaken
    near: cripple, incapacitate, paralyze, damage, harm, hurt, impair, injure, break down, wear out, sap, undercut, undermine

  4. to make more harsh, uncompromising, or severe

    "the government hardened restrictions on travel to and from the war-torn nation"

    similar: harshen, stiffen, strengthen, toughen
    opposite: ameliorate, ease
    near: lessen, moderate, soften

Related Entry: Case-hardened (adjective)

Case-hardened is a different word from Hardened. The synonyms below are for case-hardened, not for hardened.

  1. having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings

    "a case-hardened homicide detective who has seen it all"

    similar: affectless, callous, cold-blooded, compassionless, desensitized, hard, hard-boiled, hard-hearted, heartless, indurate, inhuman, inhumane, insensate, insensitive, ironhearted, merciless, obdurate, pachydermatous, pitiless, remorseless, ruthless, slash-and-burn, soulless, stony, stonyhearted, take-no-prisoners, thick-skinned, uncharitable, unfeeling, unmerciful, unsparing, unsympathetic
    related: boorish, heedless, inconsiderate, thoughtless, uncaring, unfriendly, unloving, unthinking, grim, hard-bitten, harsh, heavy-handed, ironfisted, ironhanded, jackbooted, knock-down, drag-out, oppressive, rough, rough-and-tumble, severe, sledgehammer, stern, tough, ungentle, abusive, acrimonious, disagreeable, hateful, ill-natured, ill-tempered, malevolent, malicious, mean, rancorous, spiteful, surly, virulent, barbarous, bestial, brutal, brutish, cruel, evil-minded, savage, vicious, austere, cold, frosty
    opposite: charitable, compassionate, humane, kindhearted, kindly, merciful, sensitive, softhearted, sympathetic, tender, tenderhearted, warm, warmhearted
    near: benevolent, benignant, gentle, kind, clement, indulgent, lenient, mild, cordial, friendly, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, tolerant, understanding, affectionate, fond, loving

Related Entry: Case-hardened (verb)

Case-hardened is a different word from Hardened. The synonyms below are for case-hardened, not for hardened.

  1. as in tempered, annealed

    similar: annealed, tempered, calcified, crystallized, ossified, petrified, rigidified, clotted, coagulated, gelated, gelatinized, gelled, jelled, jellied, stiffened, thickened, caked, callused, encrusted, concreted, congealed, firmed (up), froze, hardened, indurated, set, solidified
    opposite: liquefied, softened, deliquesced, dissolved, fluxed, fused, melted, smelted, thawed, unfroze

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Hardened

The most common words with a similar meaning to Hardened:

cast-iron, hard, hard-bitten, hardy, inured, rugged, stout, strong, sturdy, tough, toughened, vigorous, adamant, adamantine, bullheaded, dogged, hard-nosed, hardheaded, headstrong, immovable, implacable, inconvincible, inflexible, intransigent, mulish, obdurate, obstinate, opinionated, ossified, pat, pertinacious, perverse, pigheaded, self-opinionated, self-willed, stiff-necked, stubborn, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Hardened

Words with the opposite meaning of Hardened:

delicate, nonhardy, soft, tender, weak, acquiescent, agreeable, amenable, compliant, complying, flexible, pliable, pliant, relenting, yielding, liquefied, softened, debilitated, enervated, enfeebled, weakened, ameliorated, eased

Related Words for Hardened

flinty, leathery, resilient, stalwart, durable, enduring, everlasting, immortal, imperishable, lasting, permanent, stable, staunch, staying, tenacious, flourishing, prospering, thriving, able-bodied, brawny, muscular, fit, hale, healthy, husky, lusty, red-blooded, robust, sound, strapping

Near Antonyms of Hardened

emasculated, exhausted, run-down, sapped, wasted, worn, worn-out, crippled, diseased, incapacitated, infirm, unsound, fragile, frail, puny, resistless, sensitive, susceptible, unresistant, vulnerable, mortal, perishable, temporary, transient, docile, obedient, placable, submissive, tractable, accepting

Word Forms of Hardened

Inflections: hardening, case-hardened, case-hardening, case-hardens

Derived words: case-hardened (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Hardened

First known use: 13th centuryt

Frequently Asked Questions about Hardened

What does "Hardened" mean?

"Hardened" means to make hard or harder. As an a verb, a phrase and an adjective, it is defined as: to make hard or harder. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Hardened"?

Other words for "Hardened" include cast-iron, hard, hard-bitten, hardy, inured, rugged, stout and strong. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Hardened" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Hardened"?

There are 182 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Hardened". Common alternatives include cast-iron, hard, hard-bitten, hardy, inured, rugged, stout, strong, sturdy and tough.

What is the opposite of "Hardened"?

Antonyms of "Hardened" include delicate, nonhardy, soft, tender, weak, acquiescent, agreeable and amenable. Near antonyms include emasculated, exhausted, run-down and sapped.

How do you use "Hardened" in a sentence?

Examples of "Hardened" in a sentence: "hardened from years of deprivation and grief, the man regarded the house fire as just another misfortune in a life filled with them"; "hardened cynics regarded those TV shows as being anything but reality-based"; "the glue begins to harden as soon as it is exposed to air".

Is "Hardened" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Hardened" can be used as a verb, a phrase and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Hardened"?

"Hardened" is pronounced /ˈhär-dᵊn/ as a verb and /ˈkās-ˌhär-dᵊn/ as a verb and divided into syllables as hard·en.

What is the origin of the word "Hardened"?

First known use: 13th centuryt.