Synonyms for
Hardened
Definition
made or become hard or harder; toughen
Synonyms & similar words
temper
soft
hardboiled
toughened
harden
indurate
casehardened
set
untempered
soften
enured
inure
treated
tempered
inured
season
strengthened
fortified
tempered
solidified
stiffened
set
fixed
hard-wearing
hard-won
hard-fought
hard-nosed
hard-line
inured
toughened
conditioned
acclimatized
habituated
calloused
case-hardened
numbed
Synonyms by register
Formal
Informal
Literary
Antonyms
Common collocations
- hardened criminal
- hardened arteries
- hardened heart
- hardened surface
- hardened by experience
- hardened offender
- hardened steel
Word family
Usage note
Often used to describe someone who has become emotionally insensitive or resistant to change due to negative experiences. Can also refer to physical hardening.
Example sentences
- The cookies hardened as they cooled on the baking sheet.
- His heart had hardened after years of disappointment.
- The soldiers were hardened by training and battle.
- She had a hardened expression on her face.
- The ground had hardened after the rain stopped.
Quotes
The world is a harsh and unpredictable place. It's tough and it's hard. And it's hardening. - Tim Cook
“In the face of adversity, we have a choice. We can harden ourselves or soften. But we can’t do both.” - Gretchen Rubin
“The heart is like a garden. It can grow compassion or fear, resentment or love. What seeds will you plant there?” - Jack Kornfield