Hardening

Pronunciation: /ˈhɑːrdənɪŋ/

Definitions of hardening

noun the process of becoming or making something hard or harder

Example Sentences

A1 The hardening of the bread made it difficult to eat.

A2 The hardening of his heart towards her was evident in his actions.

B1 The hardening of the cement will take a few hours to complete.

B2 The hardening of his resolve to succeed fueled his determination.

C1 The hardening of international relations could lead to potential conflicts.

C2 The hardening of her stance on the issue was unwavering and resolute.

verb present participle of the verb 'harden', which means to make or become hard or harder

Example Sentences

A1 The cookie dough is hardening in the fridge.

A2 She left the plaster to harden overnight.

B1 The government is hardening its stance on immigration policy.

B2 The company is hardening its cybersecurity measures after a recent breach.

C1 The criminal's heart seemed to be hardening with each crime he committed.

C2 The diplomat's negotiation skills were hardening as he dealt with increasingly difficult international disputes.

Examples of hardening in a Sentence

formal The process of hardening steel involves heating and then cooling it to increase its strength.

informal I heard that the new regulations are really hardening up on security around here.

slang Dude, you need to stop being so soft and start hardening up if you want to succeed in this industry.

figurative His heart was soft at first, but after going through so much pain, it started hardening against the world.

Grammatical Forms of hardening

• past tense: hardened
• plural: hardenings
• comparative: harder
• superlative: hardest
• present tense: harden
• future tense: will harden
• perfect tense: have hardened
• continuous tense: is hardening
• singular: hardening
• positive degree: hard
• infinitive: harden
• gerund: hardening
• participle: hardened

Origin and Evolution of hardening

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'hardening' originated from the Old English word 'heardnian' which means to make hard or solid.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'hardening' has evolved to not only refer to the physical process of making something hard or solid, but also to describe the process of becoming more resistant or unyielding in character or attitude.