hardening

/ˈhɑːdnɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhɑːrdnɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhärd-niŋ ˈhär-dᵊn-iŋ/ (ame, mw)

hardening — noun

1. the process by which a soft or liquid material becomes solid, firm, or stiff — f

1.名詞B2
釋義

the process by which a soft or liquid material becomes solid, firm, or stiff — for example, when lava cools into rock, glue dries, or heated metal is quenched.

例句

The hardening of lava into solid rock took several hours after the volcano stopped erupting.

hardening + of + noun phrase (the material)

Chefs know that the hardening of caramel begins after it cools below a certain point.

hardening + of + concrete substance

同義詞
  • solidification

    more technical; specifically the transition from liquid to solid state

  • setting

    used for plaster, cement, and glue; implies a short curing period

  • stiffening

    less extreme than hardening; implies becoming rigid but not necessarily solid

反義詞
  • softening

    the opposite process, becoming less hard or firm

  • melting

    the transition from solid to liquid, opposite of solidification

文法句型

hardening + of + noun (the material that becomes hard)

用法筆記

Frequently followed by of + noun naming the material (e.g. hardening of concrete, hardening of arteries for physical sense). In technical contexts, often paired with a modifier: case hardening, work hardening, age hardening.

常見錯誤

❌The hardening of the glue happens when it is drying.
✅The glue hardens as it dries.
💡Use the verb form 'harden' for simple statements about a single material; reserve 'hardening' for processes, stages, or technical descriptions.
❌I need to wait for the complete harden of the cement.
✅I need to wait for the complete hardening of the cement.
💡'Hardening' is the noun form; 'harden' is a verb.

2. the process by which a person's opinion, policy, or attitude becomes more strict

2.名詞B2
釋義

the process by which a person's opinion, policy, or attitude becomes more strict, fixed, or less willing to change — for example, when negotiations fail and both sides refuse to compromise.

例句

The hardening of the government's position on immigration surprised many of its own supporters.

hardening of + stance / position / attitude

After three failed meetings, a hardening in the union's demands made a strike almost certain.

hardening + in + noun phrase expressing position

同義詞
  • toughening

    more informal; often describes a person directly (e.g. toughening of policy)

  • stiffening

    implies resistance to change, especially in negotiations or postures

  • polarization

    stronger; suggests a split into opposing extremes, not just increased strictness

反義詞
  • softening

    becoming less strict or more willing to compromise

  • easing

    relaxing restrictions or demands

文法句型

hardening + of + noun (attitude/stance)

hardening + in + noun phrase

用法筆記

Subject is typically a stance, attitude, position, or opinion — not a person directly. Say hardening of public opinion, not hardening of the people. Collocates strongly with gradual, steady, marked, clear. Often appears in political and business reporting.

常見錯誤

❌There was a hardening of the boss towards the new proposal.
✅There was a hardening of the boss's attitude toward the new proposal.
💡'Hardening' needs a noun like 'attitude', 'stance', or 'position', not a person.
❌Her heart hardening made her stop talking to her sister.
✅The hardening of her attitude made her stop talking to her sister.
💡For emotional coldness, use 'attitude' or 'heart' only in the fixed idiom 'hardening of the heart' (a biblical/literary expression).

3. the abnormal thickening, stiffening, or loss of elasticity in body tissue, often

3.名詞C1
釋義

the abnormal thickening, stiffening, or loss of elasticity in body tissue, often caused by disease, aging, or long-term inflammation — for example, cirrhosis of the liver or atherosclerosis of the arteries.

例句

The hardening of the patient's liver was diagnosed as cirrhosis after several medical tests.

medical: hardening of + organ (liver / arteries / skin)

Systemic sclerosis is a rare autoimmune disease that causes hardening and tightening of the skin.

同義詞
  • sclerosis

    the formal medical term; used in disease names (multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis)

  • fibrosis

    specifically refers to scarring and thickening of connective tissue (e.g. liver fibrosis)

  • induration

    a clinical term for abnormally hard tissue, used mainly in pathology reports

反義詞
  • atrophy

    the wasting away or shrinking of tissue, the opposite of thickening

  • thinning

    loss of tissue density, as in osteoporosis or skin thinning

文法句型

hardening + of + body part/tissue

hardening + of + organ

用法筆記

A medical term synonymous with sclerosis in clinical contexts (e.g. multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis). Frequently passive in patient-oriented writing: hardening was detected, hardening was observed. The collocation hardening of the arteries is common enough to appear in general health journalism but describes a specific pathology (atherosclerosis).

常見錯誤

❌My grandmother has hardening of her legs.
✅My grandmother has hardening of the arteries in her legs.
💡Specify which tissue or organ is affected; 'hardening' alone without a body part is vague in medical contexts.
❌Hardening of the brain caused her memory loss.
✅Hardening of the arteries in the brain caused her memory loss.
💡The condition is vascular hardening (atherosclerosis), not the brain tissue itself hardening.