harden (redirected from hardened)

harden something off

to accustom a young plant to normal weather so it can be moved from a protected environment to the out-of-doors. We put the plants by the open window to harden them off. We hardened off the plants.

harden something up

to make something hard or strong. Put the meat in the freezer awhile to harden it up before you try to slice it thin. Harden up the ice cream a little in the freezer.

See also: up

harden oneself to something

Fig. to make oneself capable of bearing something unpleasant. You will have to learn to harden yourself to tragedies like this. They happen every day in a hospital. She had learned to harden herself to the kinds of poverty she had to work in.

See also: oneself

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harden your heart  (slightly formal)

to make yourself stop feeling kind or friendly towards someone You've just got to harden your heart and tell him to leave.

See also: heart

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harden your heart (slightly formal)

to make yourself stop feeling kindness and sympathy He found it difficult to harden his heart completely against his old colleague.

See also: heart