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3. harden

harden

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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: harden

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.

See also: harden, off

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: harden, up

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: harden, heart

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: harden, heart

harden one's heart

Feel no sympathy for, as in We can't afford to give them more; we'll just have to harden our hearts when they ask . [Late 1300s]

See also: harden, heart

steel one's heart against

Also, harden one's heart. Suppress one's feelings for, as in He finally steeled his heart against them and refused the loan, or You'll just have to harden your heart and tell them the truth. This metaphoric idiom transfers making something hard to rendering oneself insensible or unfeeling. Versions of it date from the late 1500s. Also see heart of stone.

See also: heart, steel