Hardened (Adjective)

Meaning ¹

Protected against attack (especially by nuclear weapons); "hardened missile silos".

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Examples

• The military base was a hardened facility, designed to withstand a nuclear blast.
• The government invested heavily in hardened bunkers to protect key officials in the event of an attack.
• The new missile defense system was installed in a hardened underground silo to prevent it from being destroyed.
• The hardened command center was equipped with state-of-the-art communication systems and secure data storage.
• The hardened shelter was built to provide a safe haven for civilians during a nuclear emergency.

Antonyms

• Soft

Meaning ²

Made tough by habitual exposure; "hardened fishermen"; "a peasant, dark, lean-faced, wind-inured"- Robert Lynd; "our successors...may be graver, more inured and equable men"- V.S.Pritchett.

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Synonyms

• Enured
• Inured

Meaning ³

Made hard or flexible or resilient especially by heat treatment; "a sword of tempered steel"; "tempered glass".

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Examples

• The craftsman spent hours heating and hammering the metal to create a hardened steel blade that would last a lifetime.
• After being tempered in the fire of adversity, the young warrior emerged hardened and ready for battle.
• The window manufacturer used a specialized process to create hardened glass that could withstand even the strongest winds.
• Years of working outdoors had hardened the old sailor's skin to the point where it was as tough as leather.
• The company's tempered approach to risk management had helped them navigate the economic downturn with a hardened resolve.

Synonyms

• Toughened
• Treated
• Tempered

Meaning ⁴

Used of persons; emotionally hardened; "faced a case-hardened judge".

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Examples

• The detective was a hardened veteran of the city's toughest streets, with a no-nonsense attitude to match.
• After years of dealing with difficult customers, the store manager had become hardened to their complaints.
• The case-hardened lawyer was not easily swayed by emotional appeals, focusing instead on the facts of the case.
• The social worker had seen so many heartbreaking cases that she had become hardened to the suffering of others.
• The hardened politician had been in office for decades, and was not about to let a little scandal bring her down.

Synonyms

• Case-hardened
• Hard-boiled

Meaning ⁵

Converted to solid form (as concrete).

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Examples

• The mixture of cement, water, and aggregate had hardened into a solid concrete slab after several hours.
• The epoxy had hardened into a durable and rigid coating that protected the metal surface from corrosion.
• The resin had hardened into a strong and flexible plastic that was used to make the car's dashboard.
• The mud had hardened into a thick and impermeable crust that made it difficult to dig through.
• The cement paste had hardened into a solid and unyielding bond that held the bricks together.

Synonyms

• Set