Pronunciation: /tʌfən/

Definitions of toughen

verb to make or become tougher or stronger

Example Sentences

A1 I want to toughen up my muscles by going to the gym.

A2 Exercising regularly will help toughen your body and improve your overall health.

B1 Taking on challenging tasks at work can toughen your mental resilience.

B2 Facing difficult situations can toughen your character and make you stronger.

C1 Years of military training toughened him into a skilled and disciplined soldier.

C2 The intense physical training program toughened her up and prepared her for the grueling competition.

adjective having strength or resilience

Example Sentences

A1 She found the toughened glass to be very strong and durable.

A2 The coach wanted to toughen up the team before the big game.

B1 The new training program is designed to toughen participants both mentally and physically.

B2 The challenging mountain terrain helped toughen the hikers for future expeditions.

C1 Years of military training had toughened him to face any difficult situation with courage and resilience.

C2 The intense physical and mental challenges of the expedition were meant to toughen the participants for future endeavors.

Examples of toughen in a Sentence

formal The new training program is designed to toughen up our employees for the challenges ahead.

informal If you want to get stronger, you'll have to toughen up and push yourself harder at the gym.

slang You need to toughen up and stop letting things get to you so easily.

figurative Going through difficult times can toughen you up and make you more resilient in the long run.

Grammatical Forms of toughen

past tense

toughened

plural

toughens

comparative

tougher

superlative

toughest

present tense

toughen

future tense

will toughen

perfect tense

has toughened

continuous tense

is toughening

singular

toughens

positive degree

tough

infinitive

to toughen

gerund

toughening

participle

toughened

Origin and Evolution of toughen

First Known Use: 1601 year
Language of Origin: Old English
Story behind the word: The word 'toughen' originated from the Middle English word 'toughen' or 'tough', which derived from the Old English word 'tōh' meaning strong or firm.
Evolution of the word: Over time, 'toughen' evolved from simply meaning strong or firm to also encompassing the idea of becoming more resilient or hardened through experience or difficulty.