English Explanatory Dictionary

harden

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To become hard.
  2. To make something hard or harder.
  3. To strengthen.
  4. To modify (a website or other system) to make it resistant to malicious attacks.
  5. To become or make (a person or thing) resistant or less sensitive.
  6. To get an erection.
  7. To become or make (a consonant) more fortis; to (cause to) undergo fortition.
  8. To unpalatalize or velarize.
noun
  1. Alternative form of hurden (“coarse linen”).
name
  1. A surname.
  2. A place name:
  3. A suburb in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, West Midlands, England (OS grid ref SK0101).
  4. A village and civil parish (with a village council) in the Metropolitan Borough of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England (OS grid ref SE0838).
  5. A town in Hilltops council area, southern New South Wales, Australia.

Pronunciation

/ˈhɑɹdn̩/ /ˈhɑːdn̩/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-harden.wav

Word forms

harden hardens hardening hardened

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”).

Synonyms

anneal harden indurate obdurate sclerotise solidify steel stiffen temper inure

Antonyms

soften

Related words

hardness hard strengthen Arden Hardenne Hardennes

Derived words

caseharden case harden deharden enharden forharden hammer-harden hardenability hardenable hardened hardener hardening hardenite harden off harden one's neck harden someone's heart harden up overharden photoharden preharden reharden superharden unharden
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