hardening

1 of 2

noun

hard·​en·​ing ˈhärd-niŋ How to pronounce hardening (audio)
ˈhär-dᵊn-iŋ
Synonyms of hardeningnext
: sclerosis sense 1
hardening of the arteries

hardening

2 of 2

present participle of harden

Examples of hardening in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
States preparing for an imminent war prioritize military mobilization and strategic hardening; Fujian, by contrast, is being developed as a long-term engine of economic integration, innovation, and cross-Strait connectivity. — Ningrong Liu, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026 In about one-third of patients, lung cancer screenings also detect unrelated health issues, including the hardening of heart arteries or a nodule in another part of the body. — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026 Getting home hardening done, like a new roof, windows, and vent, is out of his budget. — Steve Large, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 Eligible nonprofits would be required to help homeowners reduce wildfire risk through vegetation management, maintaining defensible space, home hardening, evacuation planning, emergency alerts and communications and other fire mitigation activities. — Haley Parsley october 12, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hardening

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hardening was in the 15th century

Rhymes for hardening

See All Rhymes for hardening

Browse Nearby Words

hardener
hardening
harden one's heart
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hardening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hardening. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

hardening

noun
hard·​en·​ing
: sclerosis
hardening of the arteries

Medical Definition

hardening

noun
hard·​en·​ing ˈhärd-niŋ, -ᵊn-iŋ How to pronounce hardening (audio)
: sclerosis sense 1
hardening of the arteries

More from Merriam-Webster on hardening

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hardening

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of wraith

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All