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- Dictionaryhardened/ˈhɑːdnd/
adjective
- 1. having become or been made hard or harder: "hardened steel"
- 2. very experienced in a particular job or activity and therefore not easily upset by its more unpleasant aspects: "hardened police officers" Similar Opposite
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used to describe someone who has had a lot of bad experiences and as a result no longer gets upset or shocked: hardened detectives / reporters. [ before noun ] no longer likely to change a bad way of life or feel sorry about it: a hardened criminal. be/become hardened to something.
adjective. made or become hard or harder. pitiless; unfeeling. firmly established or unlikely to change; inveterate: a hardened criminal. inured; toughened: a hardened trooper. rigid; unyielding: a hardened attitude. (of a missile base) equipped to launch missiles from underground silos.
Define hardened. hardened synonyms, hardened pronunciation, hardened translation, English dictionary definition of hardened. v. hard·ened , hard·en·ing , hard·ens v. tr. 1. To make hard or harder: harden steel. 2. To enable to withstand physical or mental hardship: was hardened by...
to become or make hard: The mixture hardens as it cools. It is thought that high cholesterol levels in the blood can harden the arteries (= make them thicker and stiffer, causing disease). SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Hard and firm. (as) stiff/straight as a ramrod idiom. adamantine. cast iron. congealed. crisply. dilatancy. dilatant
: to become firm, stable, or settled. b. : to assume an appearance of harshness or severity. her face hardened at the thought.
If you describe someone as hardened, you mean that they have had so much experience of something bad or unpleasant that they are no longer affected by it in the way that other people would be. ...hardened criminals. ...hardened politicians. More Synonyms of hardened. Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary.
to strengthen or confirm, especially with reference to character, intentions, feelings, etc.; reinforce. Synonyms: nerve, brace, steel, fortify. Antonyms: weaken. to make hardy, robust, or capable of endurance; toughen. Military. to reinforce the structure of (a military or strategic installation) to protect it from nuclear bombardment.
