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Hardens

/ˈhɑrdənz/

verbB1third person singular present

Definition

Hardens means when something changes from soft or flexible to hard or firm. It can happen naturally, like when water freezes into ice, or by an action, like when you press clay to make it solid. It can also describe feelings, like when someone becomes less kind or more strict.

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See It in Action

To become physically hard or firm

  • •The clay hardens after drying in the sun.
  • •The concrete hardens as it cools.
  • •The ground hardens in cold weather.

To make someone less kind or more strict emotionally or mentally

  • •Years of hardship harden a person's feelings.
  • •His experiences harden him against trusting others.
  • •The difficult life hardens her heart.

Make It Stick

  • ✓Think of "hardens" like "gets hard," but used for many things, not just objects
  • ✓Picture wet mud turning dry and solid under the sun
  • ✓It's the feeling when a soft heart becomes cold or less friendly
  • ✓Sounds like "hard-ens" → imagine something getting more "hard" step by step, like a stone growing inside
  • ✓Imagine a blacksmith heating metal and then cooling it to make it strong and hard
  • ✓NOT like "soften" (to become soft), "hardens" is the opposite, making things firm or stiff
  • ✓NOT like "break" (to become weak or damaged), "hardens" means becoming stronger or solid
  • ✓NOT like "freeze" (change to ice), but "hardens" can include freezing and other ways to become firm

Try Other Words

  • •Solidifies: becomes solid (Use when focusing on changing from liquid or soft to solid)
  • •Strengthens: becomes stronger (Use when talking about emotional or physical strength increasing)
  • •Toughens: becomes tougher or stronger (Use when talking about becoming stronger physically or emotionally)
  • •Freezes: becomes ice (Use when the hardening is because of cold turning liquid to ice)

Unboxing

  • •Prefix/root/suffix: hard + en (suffix used to make verbs meaning "to become or make")
  • •Etymology: From Old English "heard" meaning firm or solid, plus "-en" to form a verb
  • •Historical development: Used since Old English times to describe becoming firm or solid
  • •Modern usage: Used for physical changes (materials getting firm) and emotional changes (feelings becoming less soft or kind)
  • •Interesting fact: The verb can describe both natural processes and actions done by people

Reflect & Connect

•Can you think of a time when a difficult experience hardens a person's feelings? How does that change them?
•What are some materials you know that harden quickly? How do you use them?

Fill in the blanks

1.When the wet cement hardens, it ___ very strong and cannot be moved easily.
2.Cold weather makes the soil harden because the water inside it ___.
3.Years of sadness can harden a person's heart, making them less ___ to others.
4.The blacksmith hardens the metal by heating it and then ___ it in water.
5.Unlike soft clay, this material hardens ___ after a few minutes.
6.When emotions harden, people often ___ to show less kindness or trust.
7.The paint hardens as it dries, so you must ___ it quickly before that.