What does "harden" mean?
Alternative form of hurden (“coarse linen”).
Harden
/ˈhɑɹdn̩/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Alternative form of hurden (“coarse linen”).
- Grammar: harden is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: temper, indurate, solidify, stiffen.
- Useful contrasts: gentle, limber, low melting point.
- Usage evidence: And so the method that works is treading down the snow to harden it, making blocks and piling them up.
How to use "harden"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "harden" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "harden" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "harden" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "harden" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "harden" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "temper" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "harden", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Alternative form of hurden (“coarse linen”). alt-of, alternative, countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To become hard. intransitive
"The Chief Medical Officer of London Transport believes that public opinion against smoking will harden to the point of a total bar on the Underground, as in other countries."
- 2 cause to accept or become hardened to; habituate wordnet
- 3 To make something hard or harder. ergative, transitive
- 4 make healthy wordnet
- 5 To strengthen. figuratively, transitive
"In view of the system's relatively low cost, the preferred alternative could be for the military user to avail himself of multiple base stations rather than seeking to harden the base station hardware for defense applications."
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 harden by reheating and cooling in oil wordnet
- 7 To modify (a website or other system) to make it resistant to malicious attacks. transitive
- 8 become hard or harder wordnet
- 9 To become or make (a person or thing) resistant or less sensitive. ambitransitive
"When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go."
- 10 make hard or harder wordnet
- 11 To get an erection. informal, intransitive
"He hardened as he imagined himself running his hands over her small breasts"
- 12 To become or make (a consonant) more fortis; to (cause to) undergo fortition. ambitransitive
- 13 To unpalatalize or velarize.
"Of course one needs to keep in mind the fact that *tʹ and *dʹ are hardened before *e and *i in Ukrainian and Rusyn[…]"
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname. countable, uncountable
- 2 A place name:; A suburb in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, West Midlands, England (OS grid ref SK0101). countable, uncountable
- 3 A place name:; A village and civil parish (with a village council) in the Metropolitan Borough of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England (OS grid ref SE0838). countable, uncountable
- 4 A place name:; A town in Hilltops council area, southern New South Wales, Australia. countable, uncountable
Example
"And so the method that works is treading down the snow to harden it, making blocks and piling them up."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "harden"?
Common synonyms include: temper, indurate, solidify, stiffen, acclimate, acclimatize.
How do you use "harden" in a sentence?
And so the method that works is treading down the snow to harden it, making blocks and piling them up.
How do you pronounce "harden"?
Pronounced /ˈhɑɹdn̩/.
Etymology
From Middle English hardenen, equivalent to hard + -en. Cognate with Danish hærdne (“to harden; cure”), Swedish hårdna (“to harden”), Norwegian herdne (“to harden”), Icelandic harðna (“to harden”).