HARDENED Synonyms: 274 Similar and Opposite Words

hardened 1 of 2

adjective

as in sturdy

able to withstand hardship, strain, or exposure hardened from years of deprivation and grief, the man regarded the house fire as just another misfortune in a life filled with them

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stubborn

sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion hardened cynics regarded those TV shows as being anything but reality-based

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hardened

2 of 2

verb

past tense of harden

as in froze

to become physically firm or solid the glue begins to harden as soon as it is exposed to air

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in strengthened

to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure pioneer women who had been hardened by years of living on the plains

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in toughened

to increase the ability of (as a muscle) to exert physical force arm muscles that were hardened by all the years of casting and hauling his fishing nets

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stiffened

to make more harsh, uncompromising, or severe the government hardened restrictions on travel to and from the war-torn nation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of hardened

Adjective

O’Brien’s Ted Keegan is a father, farmer and military veteran — a hardened man who’s spent much of his life following orders and keeping secrets. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026 And yet, for a millennia after the fall of Rome, the world largely forgot about concrete, until, in the 18th century, an English mason found that mixing limestone and clay could form a paste that hardened underwater. — Sara Herschander, Vox, 15 Oct. 2026 Drive Chain of Craters Road toward the coast, then walk across hardened lava to Puʻuloa, a sacred site with the largest concentration of petroglyphs in Hawai‘i. — Kevin Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 9 Oct. 2026 Its government, dominated by hardened veterans of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and largely indifferent to the suffering of the Iranian population, appears determined to fight on. — Richard Haass, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2026 Severe neuropathy can dull the sensation of excessive pressure, raising injury risk, and advanced lymphedema with hardened swelling calls for medical advice first. — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2026 People with severe neuropathy may not feel excessive pressure, raising the risk of injury, and advanced lymphedema with hardened swelling also warrants a medical conversation before use. — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Sep. 2026 Amid statues and posters of the Virgen de Guadalupe was a rosary that a man had made of hardened bread during his months in an immigration detention facility. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 The cold temperature and the snap of the hardened chocolate really elevates the whole experience. — Francesca Krempa, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026

Verb

The building materials are fire-resistant, as are the windows, and the eaves are fire-hardened as well. — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026 Formula One did not return to South Africa in 1986, as international protest over apartheid hardened. — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026 Now the companies that recover fastest treat a short, honest, imperfect first statement as more valuable than a polished one that arrives after the narrative has already hardened. — Ronn Torossian, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 But fair reporting has been the exception, and in the space left by our silence, speculation has hardened into something being treated as fact. — Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026 By many accounts, the doc branch’s preferences hardened into dogma after what happened in the 2021 season. — Nate Jones, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026 But unlike Hamas and Hezbollah, the group has rebounded and emerged better armed, battle-hardened and confident. — Dov Lieber, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026 With the warm, soft color of the skirt and top combo, Watts’ look was hardened by her leather jacket. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026 European countries have hardened their stance against Chinese imports over fears that an influx of goods like solar panels and EVs could hollow out the bloc’s industries. — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardened

Adjective

Denim is a sturdy cotton textile that is woven in a twill pattern, creating a distinctive diagonal rib on the fabric’s surface.

— Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
Carrying a large pump spray bottle and a small, sturdy brush, Caitlin Abrams stood before two starkly contrasting graves in a modest cemetery in western Vermont.

— Kimberlee Kruesi, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of sturdy

Adjective

An honor that seems to bring things full circle for that stubborn little girl who dreamed of performing on stages around the world from her farm.

— Ilaria Perrotta, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026
How To Remove Leaf Stains With Chlorine Bleach Bleach is very effective at removing stubborn leaf stains, along with mildew and moss.

— Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of stubborn

Verb

Ashby froze him with a backdoor breaking ball to make it 3-2, then Díaz attempted to check his swing but didn’t get the call, throwing up his arms in frustration.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
This Mexican restaurant in Clearfork is known for its brisket tacos and strong drinks – their froze with rose and vodka has a two-drink limit.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of froze

Verb

Heidi Levine, the Washington Post journalist brutally attacked by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank last week, said the terrifying ordeal has only strengthened her resolve to continue covering the plight of Palestinians.

— Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
The past several months have strengthened our belief in what EA can become.

— Todd Spangler, Variety, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of strengthened

Verb

The Chiefs’ defense stiffened and Indy faced a fourth-and-8 from the 15-yard line.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
But after a quick touchdown drive to take a 34-27 lead, the Oregon defense stiffened, and closed out the win with back-to-back stops.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of stiffened

Adjective

Seems unlikely that Kiffin would be adamant that the Big Ten's nine-game conference schedule is dragging down their results.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
And Ballmer and the Clippers remain adamant the penalties—and the allegations of misconduct—are incorrect.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of adamant

Adjective

Policymakers recognized that American companies needed a stronger reason to invest in innovation.

— Rick Lazio, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Meta Platforms, which is pushing its Muse AI agent, lost 7% after reporting stronger revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected, though its profit fell short.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of strong

Browse Nearby Words

harden

hardened

hardening

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Hardened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardened. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of hardened

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes