toughen

IPA/ˈtʌfn/
KK[tˈʌfən]IPA/ˈtʌfn/

toughen — verb

  • toughenpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • toughenshe / she / it
  • toughenedpast simple
  • toughening-ing form

1. to make someone or something stronger, either physically so that it can resist d

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to make someone or something stronger, either physically so that it can resist damage or pressure, or mentally so that they can handle hardship without giving up

Example

Kwame toughened his hands by working on the farm every day without gloves.

toughen + body part: physical conditioning through repeated work

Living alone in a new country toughened Reuben and taught him to solve his problems.

toughen + person: emotional growth from difficult experience

Common collocations
  • toughen up
  • toughen the skin/hands/muscles
  • toughen someone's character/spirit
  • toughen over time
  • toughen with age/use
Synonyms
  • strengthen

    more general; can apply to muscles, relationships, economies, or structures

  • harden

    more physical; describes becoming physically hard and firm rather than generally stronger

  • fortify

    more formal; often used for defence, protection, or adding nutrients

  • reinforce

    means adding extra support to something that already exists rather than making it strong from scratch

Antonyms
  • weaken

    the direct opposite of making stronger

  • soften

    the opposite of hardening; can be physical or emotional

Grammar Patterns

toughen + noun/pronoun

toughen up

toughen + reflexive pronoun

Usage Note

Frequently used with 'up' (toughen up) in both transitive and intransitive patterns, especially in informal contexts. The object can be a body part, a material, or a person's character or spirit.

Common Mistakes

Running every day will tough my legs.
Running every day will toughen my legs.
'tough' is an adjective, not a verb; use 'toughen' for the action of making stronger.
I need to toughen about my health.
I need to toughen up and exercise more.
'toughen' does not take a preposition like 'about'; use 'toughen up' as a self-sufficient phrasal verb.

2. if rules, laws, or conditions toughen, or if someone toughens them, they become

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

if rules, laws, or conditions toughen, or if someone toughens them, they become harder to satisfy or more difficult for people to deal with

Example

The government toughened the driving test, so now more people fail.

toughen + noun phrase (driving test): making a standard stricter

The school toughened its rules about phone use after too many students were distracted.

toughen + noun phrase (rules): authority imposing stricter regulations

Common collocations
  • toughen the rules/laws/regulations
  • toughen the test/exam/standards
  • toughen the policy
  • toughen the punishment/penalty
Synonyms
  • tighten

    more common than 'toughen' for rules and restrictions in everyday speech

  • stiffen

    suggests becoming more rigid and less flexible in application

  • harden

    suggests becoming less sympathetic or more severe in attitude

Antonyms
  • relax

    make rules or conditions less strict

  • ease

    make conditions less difficult to satisfy

Grammar Patterns

toughen + noun phrase (rules/laws/standards)

toughen (intransitive)

Usage Note

Subject is typically an authority figure or institution (government, school, company); the object is an abstract regulation or requirement, never a person. The intransitive use describes conditions changing by themselves over time.

Common Mistakes

The manager toughened the workers.
The manager toughened the workplace safety rules.
For this sense, the object must be a rule, law, or standard, not a person.
My parents toughened my bedtime.
My parents toughened the rules about my bedtime.
'toughen' applies to the regulation itself, not the schedule directly.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

These four verbs all describe making something stronger, but they differ in scope and typical use. 'Strengthen' is the most general — you can strengthen a wall, an argument, a relationship, or the economy. 'Harden' is more physical: it specifically means becoming solid and resistant to pressure (a hardened steel blade, hardened arteries). 'Fortify' carries a defensive or protective nuance and is more formal; armies fortify positions, and foods are fortified with vitamins. 'Reinforce' adds extra support to something already in place, like reinforcing a bridge with steel beams or reinforcing a lesson with practice exercises. For example: 'After the storm, the village strengthened its sea wall' (general); 'The clay pots were hardened in a hot oven' (physical); 'The soldiers fortified their camp with sandbags' (defensive); 'The teacher reinforced the lesson with a quiz' (extra support).

strengthen ↗harden ↗fortify ↗reinforce ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • toughen up
  • harden and toughen

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed from the adjective 'tough' (from Old English 'tōh', meaning strong, firm, or stubborn) plus the verbal suffix '-en', which turns adjectives into verbs meaning 'to make or become'. The word first appeared in English around the early 1500s. The figurative sense of making rules or conditions stricter developed several centuries later, extending the physical idea of toughness to abstract systems.

First known use

1582

1582, in the meaning defined at transitive sense