harden
C1Neutral to Formal; can be used in everyday, business, technical, and academic contexts.
Definition
Meaning
to become, or cause something to become, physically hard or solid; to become less emotional, sympathetic, or gentle.
To make or become more robust, resilient, or resistant; to strengthen in terms of policy, attitude, security, or military position.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As a verb, 'harden' is typically transitive ('harden the clay') or intransitive ('the clay hardened'). It encompasses both a literal, physical change of state and a figurative change in attitude, resolve, or conditions. The figurative sense often implies a process of becoming tougher, less susceptible, or more extreme.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Very little difference in core usage. The spelling of related words may differ (e.g., 'hardening' vs. 'hardening', no change). British usage may show a slight preference for 'harden off' (plants) as a gardening term.
Connotations
Neutral across both varieties. In political/military contexts ('harden one's stance', 'harden targets'), it carries the same connotation of increased firmness or defensiveness.
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[NP] harden (intransitive)harden [NP] (transitive)[NP] harden [PrepP] (e.g., harden against)[NP] harden [NP] [into NP]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “harden your heart”
- “harden into law”
- “harden of the arteries (medical)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The company will harden its negotiating position in the next round of talks.
Academic
Over time, societal attitudes towards the issue began to harden along partisan lines.
Everyday
You need to let the icing harden before you move the cake.
Technical
The polymer will harden upon exposure to ultraviolet light.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The frost will harden the ground overnight.
- Public opinion has hardened against the new development.
- We need to harden off the seedlings before planting them out.
American English
- The resin takes about an hour to harden completely.
- The President hardened his stance on immigration.
- Years of conflict hardened the soldiers.
adverb
British English
- N/A (Not standard)
- N/A
American English
- N/A (Not standard)
- N/A
adjective
British English
- The 'harden' function in the software is now active. (Technical/rare)
- N/A
American English
- A harden stance was evident in the policy paper. (Rare, usually 'hardened')
- N/A
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Wait for the glue to harden.
- The bread will harden if you leave it out.
- Her voice hardened when she spoke about the rules.
- The chocolate needs to harden in the fridge.
- The company's position hardened after the failed negotiations.
- Exposure to the elements hardened the clay pot.
- The incident served only to harden the ideological divisions within the party.
- Security measures were hardened in response to the increased threat level.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of HARD-en: making something HARD. A heart turns to HARD stone. Cement becomes HARD and EN-trenched.
Conceptual Metaphor
EMOTIONAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOLVE IS PHYSICAL HARDNESS (e.g., 'a hardened criminal', 'hardened his heart'). PROCESSES BECOMING PERMANENT ARE SOLIDIFYING (e.g., 'plans hardened into action').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'to hard' (неправильный глагол). 'Harden' is regular. Avoid translating 'harden one's heart' literally as 'сделать сердце твёрдым'; use 'ожесточиться'. In technical contexts, distinguish from 'to temper' (закалять металл) – 'harden' is broader.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'The government hardened their policy.' (Policy is singular; use 'its'). Incorrect: 'She was hardened by the experience.' (Often confused with 'hardened' as adjective meaning 'experienced'). Overusing the figurative sense where 'strengthen' or 'toughen' is more natural.
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'harden' used figuratively?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is very commonly used figuratively for attitudes, feelings, positions, and policies (e.g., 'harden one's heart', 'hening attitudes').
'Strengthen' focuses on making something stronger or more powerful. 'Harden' emphasizes making something physically solid, rigid, or figuratively more resistant, less yielding, or more extreme. A policy can be both strengthened and hardened, but 'hardened' implies more stubbornness or inflexibility.
The standard adjective is 'hardened' (e.g., a hardened criminal, hardened steel). Using 'harden' as an adjective is non-standard and rare.
It's a gardening term meaning to acclimatize young plants to outdoor conditions by gradually exposing them to wind and sun before planting them outside permanently.